Daily Bread: Trusting God for Our Needs

 

Summary

In today's reflection, we delve into the profound teachings of the Sermon on the Mount, focusing on the Lord's Prayer and the phrase, "Give us this day our daily bread." This prayer marks a shift from focusing on God's holiness and kingdom to addressing our personal needs. It invites us to approach God with boldness and dependence, recognizing that even our daily sustenance is a gift from Him. This prayer is not just about physical nourishment but also about spiritual sustenance, akin to the manna provided to the Israelites in the wilderness.

The story of Moses and the Israelites highlights the difference between complaining about God and engaging in a direct, honest conversation with Him. Moses' audacious prayers demonstrate the importance of a mutual, interactive relationship with God, where we are invited to ask and express our deepest concerns. This interaction is not about informing God, who knows all, but about participating in a relationship where we can reveal our hearts and allow God to respond.

We are reminded of the distinction between our circle of control and our circle of concern. While we have control over certain aspects of our lives, much remains beyond our control, and it is in these areas that we are called to pray. Prayer becomes a way to bring our concerns to God, trusting Him to work in ways beyond our understanding. The story of Dave's Killer Bread serves as a powerful illustration of transformation and redemption, showing how prayer and community can lead to new beginnings and opportunities for those who have faced significant challenges.

Ultimately, the prayer for daily bread is a call to live in the present, trusting God for what we need today without being burdened by the past or anxious about the future. It is a reminder of our dependence on God and an invitation to participate in His work in the world, not just for ourselves but for the well-being of others.

Key Takeaways:

- Bold Dependence on God: The Lord's Prayer invites us to approach God with boldness and dependence, recognizing that everything we have, including our daily sustenance, is a gift from Him. This audacious approach to prayer reflects a deep trust in God's provision and care. [01:36]

- Honest Conversations with God: Moses' interaction with God highlights the importance of honest, direct communication. Unlike the Israelites who complained, Moses engaged in a candid dialogue with God, demonstrating the value of a mutual, interactive relationship where we can express our deepest concerns. [03:48]

- Circle of Control vs. Circle of Concern: Understanding the distinction between what we can control and what we must entrust to God is crucial. While we have control over certain aspects of our lives, much remains beyond our control, and it is in these areas that prayer becomes essential. [07:43]

- Living in the Present: The prayer for daily bread is a call to live in the present, trusting God for what we need today without being burdened by the past or anxious about the future. It reminds us of our dependence on God and invites us to participate in His work in the world. [10:54]

- Transformation through Community: The story of Dave's Killer Bread illustrates the power of transformation and redemption through prayer and community. It shows how new beginnings and opportunities can arise for those who have faced significant challenges, emphasizing the importance of supporting one another. [09:09]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:50] - The Golden Rule Day
- [01:11] - Shift in the Lord's Prayer
- [01:25] - Boldness in Prayer
- [01:53] - Daily Bread and Manna
- [02:23] - The Israelites' Complaint
- [03:04] - Moses' Honest Prayer
- [04:08] - Interactive Relationship with God
- [05:16] - God's Response to Asking
- [05:41] - Assumptions in Prayer
- [06:10] - Personal Story of Dependence
- [07:14] - Circle of Control and Concern
- [08:43] - Dave's Killer Bread Story
- [09:39] - Praying for Others
- [10:10] - Living One Day at a Time

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: The Lord's Prayer and Our Daily Bread

Bible Reading:
1. Matthew 6:9-13 (The Lord's Prayer)
2. Numbers 11:4-15 (Moses and the Israelites' Complaint)

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Observation Questions:

1. In the Lord's Prayer, what is the significance of the shift from focusing on God's holiness and kingdom to addressing personal needs? [01:11]

2. How does the story of the Israelites in Numbers 11 illustrate their attitude towards God's provision of manna? [02:23]

3. What is the difference between the Israelites' complaints and Moses' direct conversation with God? [03:48]

4. How does the story of Dave's Killer Bread serve as an illustration of transformation and redemption? [09:09]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. What does it mean to approach God with boldness and dependence in prayer, as suggested by the imperative mood of the verbs in the Lord's Prayer? [01:25]

2. How does Moses' audacious prayer in Numbers 11 reflect a deeper relationship with God compared to the Israelites' complaints? [03:04]

3. In what ways does understanding the distinction between our circle of control and circle of concern influence our approach to prayer? [07:43]

4. How does the concept of living in the present, as emphasized in the prayer for daily bread, challenge our tendencies to dwell on the past or worry about the future? [10:54]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you approached God with boldness in prayer. How did that experience affect your relationship with Him? [01:36]

2. Consider your current prayer life. Are there areas where you tend to complain rather than engage in honest conversation with God? How can you shift towards more candid dialogue? [03:48]

3. Identify an area in your life that is beyond your control. How can you entrust this concern to God through prayer this week? [07:43]

4. Think about a personal challenge you are facing. How can you focus on trusting God for what you need today, rather than being anxious about the future? [10:54]

5. Reflect on a community or group you are part of. How can you contribute to transformation and redemption within that community, similar to the story of Dave's Killer Bread? [09:09]

6. How can you incorporate the practice of praying for others' needs, not just your own, into your daily routine? [09:39]

7. What specific steps can you take to make today a "golden rule day" by living out the principles of the Lord's Prayer in your interactions with others? [00:50]

Devotional

Day 1: Bold Dependence on God
The Lord's Prayer invites believers to approach God with boldness and dependence, recognizing that everything they have, including their daily sustenance, is a gift from Him. This audacious approach to prayer reflects a deep trust in God's provision and care. By asking for "our daily bread," individuals acknowledge their reliance on God for both physical and spiritual nourishment. This prayer is a reminder that God is the ultimate provider, and it encourages believers to trust Him for their needs each day, without being burdened by the past or anxious about the future. [01:36]

Matthew 6:31-33 (ESV): "Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle to trust God for provision? How can you practice bold dependence on Him today?


Day 2: Honest Conversations with God
Moses' interaction with God highlights the importance of honest, direct communication. Unlike the Israelites who complained, Moses engaged in a candid dialogue with God, demonstrating the value of a mutual, interactive relationship where individuals can express their deepest concerns. This kind of prayer is not about informing God, who already knows all, but about participating in a relationship where believers can reveal their hearts and allow God to respond. Honest conversations with God foster a deeper connection and understanding of His will and purpose. [03:48]

Exodus 33:11 (ESV): "Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent."

Reflection: Think of a concern or worry you have been holding back from God. How can you bring this to Him in an honest conversation today?


Day 3: Circle of Control vs. Circle of Concern
Understanding the distinction between what individuals can control and what they must entrust to God is crucial. While people have control over certain aspects of their lives, much remains beyond their control, and it is in these areas that prayer becomes essential. By recognizing the limits of their control, believers can focus on what they can change and trust God with the rest. This understanding helps to alleviate anxiety and fosters a sense of peace, knowing that God is working in ways beyond human understanding. [07:43]

Proverbs 19:21 (ESV): "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand."

Reflection: Identify one concern that is beyond your control. How can you entrust this to God in prayer today?


Day 4: Living in the Present
The prayer for daily bread is a call to live in the present, trusting God for what is needed today without being burdened by the past or anxious about the future. It reminds believers of their dependence on God and invites them to participate in His work in the world. By focusing on the present, individuals can experience God's provision and guidance in their daily lives, allowing them to be more effective in serving others and fulfilling their purpose. [10:54]

Matthew 6:34 (ESV): "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Reflection: What is one way you can focus on living in the present today, trusting God for what you need?


Day 5: Transformation through Community
The story of Dave's Killer Bread illustrates the power of transformation and redemption through prayer and community. It shows how new beginnings and opportunities can arise for those who have faced significant challenges, emphasizing the importance of supporting one another. Through community, individuals can experience God's love and grace, leading to personal growth and transformation. This highlights the role of believers in being agents of change and support for those in need. [09:09]

Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV): "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

Reflection: Who in your community could use support or encouragement today? How can you be a source of transformation and redemption for them?

Quotes


pray we are learning from the greatest teacher who ever taught and the greatest teaching ever given the sermon on the mouth that what is insurmountable in our lives are not the problems that we face um it is God and his kingdom who is with us and so you can make today a golden rule day and you're in invited today to bring to God your needs and to pray this prayer give us this day our daily bread now this begins a little shift up till now in the Lord's Prayer we've been talking about uh you God may your name be hallowed may your kingdom come may your will be done now it's ours and uh it's very striking the the verbs that are used the grammar for just a moment is in What's called the imperative mood it's actually commands give uh which is quite audacious it's quite bold we're to be quite bold when we're with God and yet at the same time it's this tremendous sense of dependence um God even the very food that I eat if you don't uh run the world and cause the rain to come and seeds to sprout everything I have is a gift from you I am utterly dependent on you for this day now when you pray when we ask God something happens that does not happen if we do not ask of course that phrase Daily Bread would cause people in Jesus day to think back to when God provided Mana for his people and I often think about what I what we together do here in The Fellowship of the Wither man is this Mana for this day God would you give me Mana for this day I need Mana today so I want you to notice what happened during the giving of the Mana back in the Old Testament this is from Numbers Chapter 11 [00:38:48]

God had been giving the Mana for some time uh and the rabble with him started to Crave other food the Israelites started wailing and said if only we had meat to eat we remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost also cucumbers melons leaks onions garlic but now we've lost our appetite we never see anything but this Mana they complain not that we're not being fed we don't like the diet Moses heard the people of every family wailing at the entrance to their tents the Lord became exceedingly angry and and Moses was troubled he asked the Lord why have you brought this trouble on your servant notice how direct how audacious Moses's conversation with god is what have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me that I conceive all these people that I give them birth why do you tell me to carry them in my arms as a nurse carries an infant to the land you promised not all to their ancestors where can I get meat for all these people they keep wailing to me give us meat to eat I cannot carry all these people by myself the burden is too heavy for me if this is how you are going to treat me please go ahead and kill me if I have found favor in your eyes this is a very very Frank prayer that Moses offers to God there is one great difference that you might have noticed between Moses and the people the people complain about God Moses prays to God um they do not enter into a mutual conversational interactive relationship with God they don't want to do that but Moses does and that's what God invites us to do ask me now sometimes people think well why should we ask God already knows everything this is just something for you to reflect on a little bit does God have to know something if God doesn't want to know it now God is able to know everything that's part of what it means to be God sometimes as a parent there's things I I don't want to know I don't want to know what you got me for my birthday I want I'd rather have it be a surprise I want to allow you to have secrets that's a central part of personhood now there is nothing external to God that could limit God's omnition his capacity to know anything but when God goes to the garden and Adam is hiding and God says to Adam where are you is it possible that God really gives to Adam the Dignity of causation that God allows Adam to actually hide so that God can can reveal himself is it possible that God actually allows us to disclose and it's just something for you to think about well in this case Moses is very honest with God and reveals his heart and so God responds differently because asking is going on God says tell the people consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow Lord has hurt you when you wailed if only we had meat to eat we were better off in Egypt now notice he heard them even though they weren't addressing him so is isn't part of their relationship with him but he knows now the Lord will give you meat and you will eat it you will not eat it for one day or two days or 5 10 or 20 days but for a whole month till it comes out of your nostrils and you loath it now this is another dimension to prayer and our asking I assume I know what will satisfy me and so it's just God why didn't you give me what it is that I wanted I will let you know what that is there was a point uh in my family's life where a child I won't mention which one or which generation it was but the birth was very difficult and Incredibly frightening and didn't know if this child was going to make it and I remember very vividly very earnestly thinking and praying oh God as far as I can tell honestly I would give every penny if this child could just be okay I'm just and if this child could be okay I don't think I would ever um feel the need to ask for anything again this would make everything okay forever and that child did end up being okay and then within a few months another uh window of pain opened up that I had no idea I don't know the scale that you weigh pain on but that idea that uh I would never have any other serious conerns like it was crazy it was so wrong there is so little that I know and in prayer I'm invited into real conversation with god and to participate in God together in this world far beyond my tiny little ability to make things happen there was a distinction that a psychologist Kurt Luen many decades ago made another guy named Steve cubby talked about it in some more popular ways but that would distinguish between uh and this might come up in a better drawing or you might just see it from here in my life I have a circle of control this is stuff that's in my direct power if there's a weed in your garden probably don't pray oh God if it be your will take just pull the darn weed um you have teeth to brush brush your own teeth you are in charge of your own life but then uh for most of us the vast majority of what's going on is what in what might be called the circle of concern and if for example you're a parent or you have a child when that little baby is born very often they're mostly in the circle of your control you feed it you B it you clothe it you watch over it you protect it but then over time what happens that little child is moving from the circle of my control into the circle of my concern so what do I do well you pray it is a very good thing although very hard thing that I'm not able to control the other people in my life other events the weather all the things that I ought it so instead uh I pray I bring the circle of my concern to God and then what's happening is I'm learning together with God to reain just a little bit and things happen when we ask Lance and I love a kind of bread called Dave's Killer Bread and you might know the story about this there was actually A Man Named Dave David doll grew up in a real strict 7thday Adventist family of Bakers he went down to another track ended up in prison for 15 years and finally he sent up a request you might know about this in prison these are called kites a written request I need a help and that was the beginning of a change in his life and he went back to the family and uh Made bread that was so great he called a Killer Bread and over time it began to sell and they began to hire people and partly because of what he had been through and their family having a heart for folks they ended up hiring a lot a lot of ex-felons a lot of convicts who don't have an opportunity to work any place else you know part of what Jesus says is that we're to pray um not give me my bread give us this day our and so um Dale Brer says this is a great political economic prayer and we're to pray not just for my own little life but for the markets for economic circumstances and political stability not just for me but for other people people sometimes wonder you know how can there be a good god with those hungry people well of course there's plenty of uh resource and food in the world to feed everybody am I doing my part am I praying and working uh give us this day our daily bread and then not just for bread but we bring to God our lives what do you face today one day at a time just this day my friend Gail will begin today by just taking a look electronically at his calendar I have this meeting I'm going to need wisdom I have this errand to run I'm going to need patience uh I want to stretch my mind a little bit and I'll need energy for that just go from one right now from one moment to the next from one task in the next God would you help me would you be with me just today I don't live in regret over yesterday I don't live in fear over tomorrow I don't pray give me today tomorrow's bread no no no no no no no I don't know what tomorrow holds I have no idea self-sufficiency is such an illusion just this day this day this day God give me this day and then at the end of this day look back because my faith can't grow if I'm not willing to see uh couple days ago I came home and the door the Cabana had been left over and we have this young five-month-old puppy Cooper and Cooper had flown the coup it was awful and I would look it all over and tried to get some people to help me uh like the shepherd with the lost sheep and I mean I can't even tell you and I prayed God help me and then a thought came I think I might know where Cooper is and I did and part of the problem was just my own stupidity but it's very easy for me in that moment to forget oh yeah I did pray oh yeah I did ask oh yeah U The Prodigal sheep The Prodigal Labrador Retriever has come home oh God thank you thank you thank you so easy for me to dismiss that instead of saying oh no I prayed God is good and at least be open to the possibility so that's the prayer for today God give us this day our daily bread what we need today in order to face the requirements of this day make it a golden rule day together with God [00:150:72]

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Transcript
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