Christian prayer begins with a passion for God’s honour, kingdom and will but it doesn’t end there. Just because we should not prioritise food and clothing doesn’t mean we don’t need them. If the first three requests are vertical in orientation the last three are horizontal. Jesus invites us to pray for three things in particular, provision, pardon and protection. Of course these are not the only things we can or should ask God for but they do provide us with a template for what we should prioritise.
“GIVE US TODAY OUR DAILY BREAD”
In vrs 11 Jesus first of all tells us to ask for our daily bread. Notice, he wants us to pray for daily bread – not weekly bread, not monthly bread, not a trust fund or a nice little nest egg. He wants us to rely upon God daily. In Proverbs 30:8, 9 Agur prays as follows. 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. Agur isn’t simply interested in having his needs met. He wants to ensure the name of God isn’t profaned – whether with too much or too little. “Give me just what I need today, and I’ll come back tomorrow.” Agur is praying that he would be kept dependent on God in such a way that every day the Lord will be acknowledged as our sufficient supplier. If we pray for our daily bread we will be reminded on a daily basis that every gift comes to us from the bountiful hands of God. In 1 Timothy 6:6-8 we are reminded but godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
Martin Luther helpfully broadened the scope of what is intended in this request. In his Small Catechism, Martin Luther said “Daily bread includes everything needed for this life, such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, home, fields, cattle, money, goods, God-fearing spouse and children, faithful servants and rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, order, honor, true friends, good neighbors, and the like.” In his Large Catechism he elaborated a little more by way of explanation. “For when you mention and pray for daily bread, you pray for everything that is necessary in order to have and enjoy daily bread and, on the other hand, against everything which interferes with it. Therefore, you must open wide and extend your thoughts not only to the oven or the flour-bin but to the distant field and the entire land, which bears and brings to us daily bread and every sort of sustenance. For if God did not cause it to grow, and bless and preserve it in the field, we could never take bread from the oven or have any to set upon the table.” As we broaden the scope even further of praying for our daily bread Martin Luther included praying for our government. Where there is civil unrest our daily bread may well be threatened. This is one of the reasons the apostle Paul urges us to pray for our leaders in 1 Timothy 2:1, 2. I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.