Our Daily Bread
In Matthew 6, Jesus’ disciples ask Him how they should pray. So Jesus teaches them a very simple prayer that covers the basic areas of life. Jesus’ model for prayer orients our hearts toward God and His kingdom work on earth. And in the middle of that prayer, Jesus prays, “Give us today our daily bread.”
What Jesus is showing us is this: God wants us to bring everything to Him in prayer—even the small things. God cares about us and our needs.
This prayer also points out that it is God who gives us good things and provides for us. While it may seem like we earn our own basic necessities, it is actually God who gives us our breath and our ability to work and earn a wage. God even created the very food that we eat.
Everything we have comes from God. That means we can spend time in prayer thanking Him for what He has given us, and talking to Him about our needs.
What’s significant is that Jesus doesn’t ask for God to provide His needs for tomorrow or next week —He only asks for His needs today. Our whole life can change in an instant, and things we’ve stored up for years can be taken away. But Jesus teaches us to depend on God to meet our needs day by day. Dependence on God takes trust—but when we trust in Him, we end up living by God’s power and provision rather than our own.
Take some time today and thank God for what He has given you. Thank Him for taking care of your basic needs each and every day, and ask God to continue to meet your needs each and every day. Consider how you can live with an increasing awareness of God as your provider. He loves you and cares for you.
Choose Thankfulness
For years, nothing in King David’s life looked “good.” His family underestimated him, giants despised him, and his father-in-law spent years trying to kill him. But the whole time, David clung to a promise that God would establish him, and eventually make him king of Israel.
David never gave up or gave in—he chose to stay close to God and wait for Him to act. And when God showed up, this is how David responded:
“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
1 Chronicles 16:34 NIV
David knew that even when life didn’t look good, he served a God who IS good. And this same God is still actively fighting for us now.
Through His Son, Jesus, He has given us continual access to Himself. We can never lose His unfailing love toward us—a love that endures forever, no matter what goes on around us.
David recognized this, and proclaimed it. And every day, we have the opportunity to do the same.
Here are 2 practical ways that we can respond to ...