Prayer
Give us this day our daily needs
Matthew 6:8-15
8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what
you need before you ask him. 9 "Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth
as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And
forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do
not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. 14
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will
also forgive you;15 but if you do not forgive others, neither will your
Father forgive your trespasses.
NRSV
Give us this day . . .
God promises to see to our needs when we seek Him first in our lives. These needs include clothing, food, shelter. Frequently this will include employment, a spouse, children. This is the place to pray for yourself and your needs. This is where we make our heart felt desires known to God. God already knows our heart, but in this portion of the prayer we may express them to God as a child to his parent.
The most important part of this
petition is the prior verse. We must be in God's
Will to find an answer to our prayers.
1 John 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching
God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
NIV
This includes not having sin in our lives, maintaining our prayer life
and our daily devotions, being faithful in our church life, at our work,
with our habits, and in our giving.
We need to be specific as we prayer. Prayer can change much. It is a great mystery how this is so, but God knows and understands our wants, needs, and desires, and His great plan is accomplished in response to our prayers. This is God's Providence at work.
We need to be tenacious in our
prayer life.
Luke 11:5-10 5 Then he said to them, "Suppose one
of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend,
lend me three loaves of bread, 6 because a friend of mine on a journey
has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.' 7 "Then the one
inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children
are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' 8 I tell you,
though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend,
yet because of the man&s boldness he will get up and give him as much
as he needs. 9 "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek
and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone
who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door
will be opened. NIV
It is not that God forgets our
requests and needs reminding. Rather, we need to be reminded of our dependence
upon God.
Proverbs 3:5-6 5 Trust in the LORD with all your
heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge
him, and he will make your paths straight. NIV
We are to always rely upon God. He wants us to be completely dependent upon Him. We should pray for the little things of life. There is a stress management quip "Don't sweat the small stuff - and everything is small." In God's eyes, everything is large and we should "sweat" it by taking it to God in prayer. He wants to be a part of our every decision.
While I have met great men who would disagree, I believe we should pray "for the parking spaces," that is, for all those little things that do not seem to be "important" in our lives. It is not that the parking spaces are of great importance, but rather it is the attitude we take toward the running of our lives. God wants us to be totally related to Him and what better way to accomplish this than by praying for the little things. If you and your spouse are driving through the shopping mall lot, you will discuss where to park and complain when you cannot find a space. All God wants is to be a part of that conversation.
My wife is an attorney and the parking situation around the courthouse is not very good. Yet, time and again she is able to park close to the front door. She prays about needing a space and God faithfully answers her request. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of life, but an item of importance at that moment in time.
This is the way it should be
with all we do. Go to God and seek His input on everything in your life.
He has only promised our daily needs, but like any loving parent, He frequently
blesses us with much, much more.
Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
NIV
This is all true because the
blessings are a gift from God. They are not a debt that is owed us, but
are given to us freely and without charge by a gracious, loving Father.
1 Chronicles 29:14 "But who am I, and who are my
people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything
comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.
NIV
James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change
like shifting shadows. NIV
The blessings and gifts we receive
are a sign of God's goodness and promises.
Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and love will follow
me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever. NIV
The lesson here is to pray for
our daily needs and then to be content with that which God gives to us.
Philippians 4:11 I am not saying this because I
am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
NIV
