Give us today our daily bread.
Matthew 6:11

Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
Proverbs 30:8-9

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If you have ever been part of a traditional church, chances are you know the Lord’s prayer by heart. Like me, you have probably recited it mindlessly. Maybe it even felt like a chore. For the last year, I have been praying the Lord’s prayer daily, taking time to ponder each verse. I have come to understand its power. It is short, but its broad categories cover all my concerns. 

Jesus introduced the prayer by saying the Father knows what you need before you ask Him. However, if you are like me, you sometimes live like this is not true. “Give us today our daily bread’ is the verse I have pondered the most. It is about trusting God’s provision. Think about the phrase from Proverbs 30: give me neither poverty nor riches, but only my daily bread. Would you pray this? Honestly, I often pray for comfort and plenty. However, Jesus did not promise we would not have troubles, only that the Father knows what we need. When we pray for our daily bread, we remind ourselves that we will receive what we need today. The same will be true tomorrow. If we have too much (or too little), we may turn away from God. We can trust Him to know the right balance.

If you ask about my faith, I will say God is sovereign, and everything He does is right. He uses adversity for His good purpose. However, if I wholeheartedly believed this, I would never worry. My doubt is not whether God can provide; rather, it is whether He will give me what I think I need. Does His idea about what is best for me differ from mine? Will I experience loss? Will something I cannot handle crop up?

Praying for my daily bread helps me take one day at a time. Expressing gratitude for past provision, and staying focused on today reduces my anxiety. It reminds me God is with me and for me. He knows what I need better than I do. I repeat, “Give me my daily bread” like a mantra, allowing the verse to chase away fear and doubt. Then, I can believe when problems crop up, God will provide me with the means to deal with them. I find peace in letting go of my idea of how things should be. Instead, I remember God knows what I need before I ask and is already at work providing it.

Next Steps

Spend some time praying for your daily bread:

1. Thank God for specific things He provided you with yesterday.
2. Share your fears about today and tomorrow.
3. Ask God to remind you He is with you and for you.
4. Ask what you need to do today and for the resources needed to accomplish it.
5. When you catch yourself worrying, pray for your daily bread again.