| “Give us day by day our daily bread.” – Luke 11:3 |
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| The PRAYER FOR BASIC PROVISIONS Luke 11:3 is part of what we call the Lord’s Prayer but is really the “Disciple’s Prayer” as the prayer that Jesus taught was for the disciples! You may recall that in Luke 11:1 that as He was praying ONE of His DISCIPLES asked that He teach them to pray! What followed are some of the best instructions a person can ever learn when it comes to PRAYER! I suspect many of you can quote by memory but just in case this is what Jesus taught: 2 So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as [it is] in heaven. 3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.” When Jesus taught in Matthew 6 He had as the conclusion “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” Our verse to date on November 3 (11/3) is considered the hinge verse of the “Lord’s Prayer” as it moves us from a time of adoration to God to now a time of asking for our needs. In verse 2 you find the word “YOUR” 3 times. In that verse, we adore and praise God. There is a spirit of submission as we want His kingdom and His will accomplished. Having focused on the adoration of the Father and the agenda of heaven Jesus teaches to ASK for the things needed on EARTH, things the HEAVENLY FATHER provides. The things we most need are the provision of daily bread, forgiveness, guidance, and protection. I would like for us to consider that in asking for day by day our daily bread Jesus is instructing us to ask for the MOST BASIC of needs. We need food and water to live. While we might consider this too small for our Father in heaven, I like to say that while there is NOTHING TOO BIG TO ASK of GOD, there is nothing TOO SMALL to ask of GOD! After all, He takes care of a sparrow, and He keeps count of the hairs on your head. YOU must know He is interested in every detail of your life, down to the smallest detail. It is not petty to ask Him to provide the most basic of needs for your life. He is expecting you to ASK! I also want you to consider that the prayer request here is a prayer of FAITH. He did not tell us to ask the Heavenly Father for a year’s supply of food. He teaches us to be DAILY RELIANT on Him. Asking day by day for daily bread brings the immediate reminder that you will be needing to ask DAY by DAY for forgiveness; guidance; and PROTECTION! I also find that as I pray for God to provide for my basic needs I am more grateful of His work in my life. Asking God to give prompts a spirit of thanksgiving. The prayer request allows me to reflect on yesterday’s blessings and acknowledge my gratitude for His gracious provisions! In closing, I would like to share one of the greatest “TIPS” I have received for developing a strong walk with the Lord. Dr. Elmer Towns challenges us to pray the “Lord’s Prayer” as the first thing we did upon waking up. He taught us to let our first thoughts be of adoration to God and then asking Him to give us what we needed for the day! This tip has served me well and I believe it will serve you well! Verse to DATE the Word on November 3 (11/3) is Luke 11:3. It says, “Give us day by day our daily bread.” Continue Strong asking your Heavenly Father for daily needs! And remember to DATE THE WORD |