Sermon Idea: To pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” is to ask for God’s good gifts of provision for ourselves and others.
Introduction: What does it mean to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” while living in a time and place where bread seems to be in abundance? We have restaurants with “bread” in the name, such as St. Louis Bread Company or Panera Bread. Other restaurants will place rolls or biscuits on your table long before you order the main course. If you visit Taylor Cruz’s house on any given day, you may very well smell freshly baked bread being made for family, friends, and church members alike.
For many of us, food can be taken for granted, but in the ancient world, and still for many around the world, the basic necessities of life were not guaranteed. The Lord Jesus teaches his disciples to pray this way, so they’ll not only pursue what they need, but also remember where these necessary provisions come from—their Father in heaven.
To pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” is to ask for God’s good gifts of provision for ourselves and others.
Notice that the meaning of “bread” is expanded not just to food but to all physical and material provision: food, clothing, shelter, etc. We seek in prayer whatever is essential for life and for serving the Lord. This is not a prayer for delicacy or extravagance, but basic daily needs. The Lord Jesus is not teaching us to pray for better craft coffee, designer clothing, or a home that impresses our friends.
Still, you may not be sure what this means for your prayer life because you’ve never wanted for anything. If we believe Jesus intended this exemplary prayer for us as much as for these original disciples. What reflections can we draw for our own Christian lives? There are several, and I’ve hinted at them already, but I want to consider them under three larger points.
“Give us this day our daily bread,” is…
- A prayer for physical strength and provision
- A prayer of total dependance
- A prayer for the needs of others
I.) A prayer for physical strength and provision
The first three petitions concern God’s name, kingdom, and will. As worshippers of God, we first seek his kingdom and his righteousness (Matt. 6:33). Then Jesus instructs us to seek the Lord for our own needs. Jesus’ mention of food draws our attention to the body’s importance and the need for nourishment and strength, without which we cannot be healthy enough to serve the Lord.
This may seem odd to us, but early in the church’s life, Christians had to respond to various false teachings about physical creation. Several movements taught that physical matter, especially the body, was inherently evil. This led to a number of heretical teachings about Christ—like he only appeared in bodily form, but was not truly incarnate.
Nothing could be further from the truth, for the Word truly became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). One of the first things Jesus did after rising from the dead was to invite his disciples to breakfast.
12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. (Jn 21:12–13)
On the road to Emmaus, Jesus broke bread with the disciples to open their eyes to the risen Christ (Luke 24:30). The eternal Son of God became a human being with a true, physical body, and when he was raised from the dead, his physical body was glorified, but still real, physical—he ate fish and bread.
Jesus teaches us to pray for nourishment for our bodies with food, then reminds us of three greater realities. The first I have already mentioned: our created bodies are good because God created them. The only thing wrong with them is the effects that sin has had on them. Second, God cares for our bodies; third, our salvation has a necessary bodily aspect.
God cares about our bodies
The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.16 You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing. (Ps 145:15–16)
31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Mt 6:31–33)
Our salvation has a necessary bodily aspect (Hebrews 2:14-15)
23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Ro 8:23)
20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. (Php 1:20)
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself (Php 3:20–21)
The application for us, then, should be obvious and straightforward—as we pray for God to give us our daily bread, we should eat, drink, and care for our bodies so we can glorify God and have the strength to serve him.
God has made us as embodied souls, so that neglect of the body can negatively impact our spiritual health, and neglect of our soul can have negative effects on the body.
One theologian is right when he wrote, “For we observe in this that we also are to care for the body, for if we are to hallow God’s name, edify the congregation, and do the will of God, we are in need of a soul and a body which are both in health. If the one is not healthy, the other will be hindered and the entire man cannot function properly.” – Wilhelmus A Brakel
One of the first things I’ll do when walking alongside someone who is struggling is get a sense of their daily habits of sleep, exercise, and eating. I take any and all spiritual, mental, and emotional pain very seriously. To start, though, it helps to understand where a person is.
For example, if someone only gets 4-5 hours of sleep because they’re watching TV, on social media, or playing video games; if their breakfast amounts to nothing but sugar, they don’t drink water, and hardly exercise because of their sedentary job—then maybe their feelings of sadness and irritability can be helped by greater care of their body.
It is a prayer for strength and provision, and so it is a prayer of total dependance.
II.) A prayer of total dependance
As we pray for God’s provision, we confess our dependance on God. The emphasis on daily bread reinforces that our dependance on God is total. Everything we need comes from God’s good and sovereign hand. Even as he works through labor, agriculture, markets, and grocery stores, it is still God’s provision, and we depend on him.
14 You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth,15 and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart. (Ps 104:14–15)
These two truths, that we are dependent on God through prayer and that he works through means, remind us of something important. Our dependance on God in prayer for provision does not relieve us of the duty to live, work, and use every means we can to care for ourselves and others.
10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. (2 Th 3:10–12)
This double reference to daily teaches us something else rather important. As much as this is a prayer for provision, it is also a prayer for contentment.
One of my favorite presbyterians, Derek Thomas, puts it well: “Give us this day our daily bread” is coded language for, “Lord, help me to be content with whatever you are pleased to give me. I will not ask for more than I need. Forgive me for all forms of self-indulgence and distrust.”
Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, 9n lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God. (Pr 30:8–9)
8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. (1 Ti 6:8–10)
How are you doing with contentment in your own life? God has provided a home, clothing, and food to everyone in this room. Are you grateful for that provision, or do you grumble because you want more?
This is a danger for us today, more than ever. Never before in human history have we had more access to the details of people’s lives than we do today. Social media has brought the temptation to be discontent to your phone every day. You scroll, compare, scroll, compare until you no longer appreciate the good gift of provision you’ve been given, but long to be the envy of others.
If the Lord chooses to bless you, that is not a problem. Money is not the root of evil, but the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Be ambitious, work hard, earn money, and steward it well. All of this is good and right. The danger comes when we think God’s meeting of our needs is insufficient. The good life is not self-indulgent, but a life of gratitude and contentment.
11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned, in whatever situation I am, to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. (Php 4:11–13)
This is what Paul found while sitting in prison; surely we can find it in the comfort of our homes.
III.) A prayer for the essential needs of others
Like the entire prayer, it is not singular but corporate. We pray for the members of our local church, Christians across the globe, and even non-believers who are lacking daily needs.
Scripture is filled with stories of God’s people caring for others’ physical needs, especially providing food to those who need it. You might think of Joseph in Egypt providing food to the surrounding peoples during a famine. Boaz also cared for Ruth the Moabite. One of the clearest examples of God’s care for the poor and needy is the law that commands Israel not to harvest their entire field, but to leave some for the poor.
9 “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. 10 And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God. (Le 19:9–10)
This concern for others’ physical and material needs continues in the New Testament.
Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution (Ac 6:1)
15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? (Jas 2:15–16)
We pray not only for ourselves, but for others, that our needs might be met, our bodies healthy and strong, and that with those bodies we might serve the Lord.
Conclusion & Gospel Invitation
How does this petition lead us to the gospel of Jesus Christ? Our need for bread and our prayer for it should remind us that man cannot live on bread alone.
3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD (Dt 8:3)
2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ (Mt 4:2–4)
Our need for food points us to our greater need of salvation. It is no wonder that the Bible often speaks of salvation with the language of physical sustenance: bread from heaven, living water, etc.
Only through repentance and faith in Christ can we truly be satisfied in this life and the next. God, in his great grace, gave the Son of God to be born of a virgin as a human being. Jesus lived in perfect obedience to God’s law and then suffered the penalty for our breaking of that same law on the cross. When we are saved, God credits us with Jesus’ perfect obedience to God’s law. We are lawbreakers, but we are clothed in Jesus’ perfect obedience.
Are you living on bread alone? Are you living on money alone? Are you living on property alone? We need all these things, but we cannot live by them alone. We need the Lord Jesus Christ.
Look to Christ this morning in repentance and faith. Come, and let’s talk about baptism and what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.
Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! (Is 55:1)
Amen!
