Give Us this Day our Daily Bread


Today, we take one more step in our Lord’s prayer journey.  We have already discussed, “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  In these next moments, we will discuss the fourth petition: “Give us this day our daily bread.”

Three words I want to emphasize: Bread.  Us.  Today.

What is meant by bread?  For Luther, daily bread is everything we need each day.  Here’s his list: “Food and clothing, home and property, work and income, a devoted family, an orderly community, good government, favorable weather, peace and health, a good name, and true friends and neighbors.”

That’s a good list.  And so we ask God for all of this when we ask for daily bread.  Give us what we need, we cry.  God is good – and He will give it whether we ask for it or not, of course.  But when we take the time to ask, we receive these gifts with thanks.

But let’s think about that word, “us.”  We don’t say, “Give me this day my daily bread.”  We say, “Give us. …”  We desire these things for all people.  Unpack those words a bit and you can see why so many are upset with the state of the world right now.  A deadly virus threatens our health and has already killed close to 400,000 people worldwide.  A crushed economy has left millions without work.  The death of George Floyd has caused many to cry for justice and others to wonder who they can count on to serve and protect them?  Often we don’t think much about daily bread until we lack it – or we feel the lack palpably in our friends and neighbors.  Let this daily bread come to all of us, O God!

Finally, we think on the word, “daily.”  The prayer asks God for just what is needed today.  We cannot stockpile our prayers for provision by praying, “Give us this week our weekly bread” or “Give us this month. …”  The prayer drives us to pray each week, that we might realize one of our most profound gifts of daily bread is a relationship with God our Father.

May God give us all this day our daily bread.  And may God strengthen you for this day’s journey, too.

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