"Praying for Daily Bread" LD50, Matthew 6:24ff, & Psalm 104:10ff
As stated the order of the petitions of the Lord's prayer are important. This petition is one that most of us would put first, but we are taught to first deal with God. In no way however is this petition carnal but subservient to the first three petitions. These necessities (underline that word) we must have to honor His name, to seek His glory and His kingdom He puts first and foremost in our prayers. If we pray for our necessities from the viewpoint of the first petitions we will not pray amiss.
Meaning: Some want to spiritualize this petition completely. They say Christ is the bread of life. But, it is wrong as scripture shows that we may be concerned with our necessities here below. Israel could even count on abundant blessings when they walked in the Lord's way. But let them be asked for in light of the previous petitions. We must understand the means and then end. We keep the new Heavens in mind and our request is spiritual as there are necessities to achieve the end. A spiritual petition for earthly means! "Give us this day our daily bread!" Jesus teaches us to pray for bread not cake. He ties us to the earth earthy. We breathe air, exhale, and it feeds the plants, the soil provides what we need to exist. The Lord provides it for all of man's necessities. Break...the symbolic word for our necessities...so that we may walk our pilgrims veil all the way to glory.
Implication: We can hang our weight on Christ's every word in scripture. This day! Not for tomorrow. Not trusting in men, in our stocks, our freezers, but we live from the hand of God one day at a time! Our bread for today! The bread we receive is our daily allotment. The needs for this particular day. Our necessities change day to day, from young to old, between being healthy and not as it comes from the hand of God. "Lord give us our daily allotment!" Not a credit card at the grocery store like our children think is all we need to buy everything, but it is God who supplies and gives it! Not our labor or ability to even digest what we eat! It is all of God who makes it to our benefit. Have you ever seen someone in the hospital who needed nourishment and given a large portion but could not eat it?! It is all of the Lord!
Acknowledgement: This puts us in two directions when we should be in the middle. Not lazy with the attitude that the Lord will provide but pray for our daily strength to provide for our daily need. Or they lead to greed as they become our affection instead of a means. "Give me neither poverty or riches." I am content as the apostle was in my daily bread and in the way He gives it to me.
We can discern what is proper as we understand the means and the end. The Lord may lead us to the end in poverty or riches as He sees fit.
We are to give implicit trust in God who will have His creatures live out of His hand and implicit trust as He receives all the glory. These things are a means meaning they are disposable in this world. They are only a means to the end!
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