Lord's Prayer: Give Us Todayનમૂનો

Of all things to ask God for, why bread? Now when Jesus is talking about bread, he’s not just talking about bread. He’s talking about all the things we need in daily life. Back in the 16th century, Martin Luther tried to flush it out by saying daily bread includes everything that has to do with our personal needs. He listed all sorts of things like food, drink, clothes, shoes, house, home, land, animals, money, goods, a devoted spouse, devoted kids, reliable workers, faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, self-control, good reputation, good friends, faithful friends, and more. Today you might modify the list. Maybe “shoes” are a given, “animals” aren’t your livelihood, and “good weather” has more to do with a fun day at the beach than getting your crops to grow. Maybe instead your list would include things like good Wi-Fi so you can work efficiently, a stable IRA so you can retire peacefully, your boss to be understanding so you can go to your kid’s game, or for insurance to cover some kind of medical treatment. The point is, the list is meant to be all-encompassing. These are the things that are important to us. Things we can say, from a certain perspective, that we need. “Bread.” There’s things we need to function and get through life. So ask God for them! That’s what Jesus says, anyway. Consider this today… God knows what you want and God knows what you need, so don’t be embarrassed or ashamed. Ask him. If it’s important to you, it’s important to him.