As we continue reflecting on The Lord's Prayer, let's look at Matthew 6:11 which states: "Give us this day our daily bread." We are reminded in this one sentence that our basic daily needs come to us from heaven one day at a time. Planning and setting goals for our future is good, but apprehension for tomorrow can result when we take our eyes off His provision for today. Jesus shared His cure for anxiety when He spoke in Matthew 6:25: "For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing?" And in Matthew 6:34 He reemphasizes and concludes His message with one final thought: "Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
When we pray, "Give us this day our daily bread" our belief structure may be challenged as to whether His daily bread is a gift of God or a daily expectation. In Matthew 6:33 if we assume that we will "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; all these things will be added" to us, our faith increases and we trust in Him and our relationship with Him. On the other hand, if after praying we choose to posture ourself with a demanding attitude that He will now meet our need, we have chosen a relationship based on demand and one's right, rather than a relationship founded on love and trust.
This part of the Lord's Prayer becomes a reminder that we are a part of a covenant God who keeps His word to those He is in covenant with. He loves us and He looks for ways to bless us in our relationship with Him. Therefore, we love Him and look for ways to please Him by following Him and His ways. As this process of love and trust increases, we quit looking for ways to minimize the uncertainty of life by trying to control everything in our future. We then can rejoice that He meets our needs through this intimate relationship of prayer one day at a time, while our worry dissipates right before our eyes.
