Our Daily Bread

The prayer that Jesus modeled shows us how important it is to integrate the eternal realm with the temporary: walking here in time and space, yet living as though we are already in eternity. Heaven invades earth as the two agree as one. Jesus, God’s Son, is the heavenly pattern for the children of this earth. The kingdom of heaven is the pattern for order and rules of authority on earth. Lack, and worry about provision, is a foreign concept in heaven. We, here on earth, must look beyond our limited abilities and resources into the endless resources of heaven.

Matt 6:9-13
9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. NKJV


To summarize: we are to address God as “Our Father.” We come to Him as His children. We are His family, not outsiders attempting to gain His favor.

His name is hallowed, holy and highly honored. His name is our family name and our authority is in that name.

We are to pray that His kingdom will come and that His heavenly purposes would become the practice of this earth.

We focus our attention now on receiving daily bread both for this natural life and our spiritual life. Jesus taught us that we are not to be anxious or worried about where our provision will come from.

Matt 6:31 "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. NKJV

If God supplies food for the birds of the air, and grass for the cattle of the fields, will He not also provide for those who are made in His own image?
Seeking first the kingdom of God is looking to heaven as the source rather than to man or even the earth. God uses the natural process of our sowing and reaping to provide food, but we tend to see this earth as our source, rather than the One who made it.

Ps 24:1 The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.
2 For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the waters. NKJV

When we seek God’s kingdom and righteousness first, we will come into agreement with His total ownership and His care for creation. We are able to leave the responsibility of provision with Him. We work to harvest a crop but we can rely on God to provide all the necessary ingredients.

Ps 37:25 I have been young, and now am old;
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,
Nor his descendants begging bread. NKJV

There were many who began to follow Jesus and seek after Him, but they were not submitting to God’s kingdom authority over their lives: they just liked the free food. They experienced the miracle of Jesus multiplying the loves and fishes and assumed it would be an every day occurrence.

John 6:26 Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him." NKJV

Here Jesus sets the priority. He says to labor for, or seek after, the food that endures to everlasting life. Though we do labor to receive food for our natural life, it is obvious that eternal life has to be the priority. This natural life will come to an end and, if we have not sought after the food that comes from knowing Him, we will not have life.

1 John 5:10 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. NKJV

John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. NKJV

The same power that multiplied the natural bread and fish will be at work in everyone who eats of this heavenly bread. They will never again hunger for the things they previously used to fulfill the soul. It is obvious that Jesus did not mean one taste would keep us full the rest of our lives but that we would never hunger again for that which does not satisfy.

Give us this day our daily bread, refers to both the natural and the spiritual. We need fresh bread every day. We can not live on yesterday’s experience. Life with God is a continual, relational experience, not a fast food on the run type of thing. Too often we get our priorities reversed. We seek diligently for this life’s provision and occasionally hit the holy “drive through” for a quick bite of heavenly bread. A lifestyle like that leaves us very unhealthy, spiritually speaking, and open to afflictions in our soul. We need the bread of heaven, daily, to remain spiritually healthy.

There is a keen balance in living our temporary, natural lives as eternal creatures. It boils down to maintaining proper alignment. We are a spiritual being with an eternal soul living in a natural body. Though we want every part whole and completely healthy we must not allow the desires and appetites of our body to rule over our soul. Our spirit, in submission to God’s Spirit, takes charge over our soul and body, keeping them in alignment with God’s heavenly kingdom. Our eternal soul is satisfied with the eternal bread of heaven. Our body feels left out because it is earthly and does not hunger for the heavenly bread, but we must discipline it.

1 Cor 9:27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. NKJV

Paul is using the illustration of those who are disciplined athletes training for a race. Their body has to be in top physical condition to win. Our race for the heavenly prize is more likely lost by allowing the appetites of our natural bodies to make us spiritually unfit to run. We can get so busy, even preaching the Gospel, that the appetite of our flesh gains priority over our spirit man.

So let us maintain a healthy spiritual diet and discipline our bodies so that we are not disqualified from this race for the eternal prize.