Daily Dependence: Trusting God for Our Needs

Devotional

Day 1: God Is Our Ultimate Source

Every good thing in our lives—our abilities, our resources, even our very breath—comes from God, who is the true source of all provision. While hard work and wise choices are important, it is God who gives us the strength, wisdom, and opportunity to do anything at all. Prayer is not a last resort or a backup plan, but an act of trust that acknowledges God as the giver of every gift. When we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” we are invited to look beyond our own efforts and recognize the loving hand of our Father who provides for us each day. [07:32]

James 1:17 (ESV)
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Reflection: In what area of your life have you been relying on your own strength or resources instead of looking to God as your true source? How can you intentionally shift your trust to Him today?

Day 2: Trust God for Today’s Needs

God calls us to bring our needs to Him daily, trusting Him for what we need right now rather than being consumed by worries about tomorrow. Just as He provided manna for the Israelites one day at a time, He invites us to depend on His fresh mercies each morning. We don’t have to solve every problem in advance or gather up all we might need for the future; instead, we are to trust that His compassion and faithfulness will meet us each new day. Let today’s needs draw you to God’s presence, and let tomorrow’s worries rest in His hands. [12:58]

Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV)
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Reflection: What is one specific worry about tomorrow that you can release to God today, choosing instead to trust Him for what you need right now?

Day 3: Come Hungry for God Himself, Not Just His Help

There is a deeper hunger in every human heart that goes beyond physical needs—a hunger for God Himself. Jesus is the bread of life, and only He can truly satisfy the longing of our souls. While God cares about our daily needs, He desires that we come to Him not just for what He can give, but for who He is. Our greatest need is not more of God’s gifts, but more of God Himself. Let your prayers reflect a longing to sit at His feet, to be nourished by His presence, and to find your portion in Him above all else. [18:35]

John 6:35 (ESV)
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

Reflection: How can you make space today to seek God’s presence and feed your soul on Him, rather than just asking for His help with your needs?

Day 4: Put the “Us” in “Give Us”—Pray for Others

The Lord’s Prayer is intentionally communal, reminding us that prayer is not just about our own needs but about carrying the burdens of others before God. We are called to intercede for those around us, to join in their struggles, and to invite God’s grace and power into their lives. As you pray, ask God to show you whose needs He wants you to bring before Him today—whether it’s a friend, a neighbor, or someone across the world. Prayer is a way to participate in God’s work of caring for others, fulfilling the law of Christ by bearing one another’s burdens. [23:29]

Galatians 6:2 (ESV)
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Reflection: Who is one person or group God is putting on your heart today to pray for? How can you faithfully bring their needs before God in prayer?

Day 5: Repeat Daily—Keep Coming Back to God

Prayer is meant to be a daily rhythm, a continual returning to God with our needs, our gratitude, and our hunger for Him. God never grows tired of hearing from you, and His mercies are new every morning. Even when your requests feel repetitive or your needs seem unchanged, God invites you to keep coming, to keep trusting, and to keep seeking Him day by day. Let prayer become the steady heartbeat of your relationship with God, as you rely on Him for your daily bread—today, tomorrow, and every day. [28:46]

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (ESV)
Pray without ceasing.

Reflection: What simple practice can you add to your daily routine to remind yourself to return to God in prayer each day, trusting Him anew for your needs?

Sermon Summary

Hunger is a powerful force, not just in our bodies but in our souls. There is a deep hunger within each of us that no food or earthly thing can satisfy—a hunger that only God can fill. As we continue exploring the Lord’s Prayer, we come to the phrase, “Give us this day our daily bread.” This simple request is about much more than asking for physical provision; it is an invitation to trust God as our ultimate source, to depend on Him for every need, every day.

God is not just a provider of things; He is the source of life itself. Every good and perfect gift comes from Him, and even our ability to work, to make wise choices, and to provide for ourselves is a gift from His hand. When we pray for daily bread, we are reminded to look to God first—not as a last resort or backup plan, but as the One who sustains us moment by moment. This prayer is a daily act of trust, a way of acknowledging our dependence on God for today’s needs, rather than being consumed by anxiety about tomorrow.

Jesus’ choice of words—“this day” and “daily”—emphasizes the importance of living in the present, trusting God for what we need right now. Just as God provided manna for the Israelites one day at a time, He invites us to rely on His fresh mercies each morning. We are called to bring our needs to Him, but also to examine our attitudes: do we approach God with entitlement, demands, or doubt? Or do we come with humble dependence, recognizing that we are not owed anything, but are graciously cared for by a loving Father?

Yet, the deepest hunger in our hearts is not for God’s gifts, but for God Himself. Jesus is the bread of life, the true portion our souls crave. Our prayers should reflect a longing for His presence, not just His provision. The Lord’s Prayer is also communal—“give us”—reminding us to carry one another’s burdens and to intercede for the needs of others, not just our own. And finally, this is a daily rhythm: we are invited to return to God again and again, trusting that He never tires of hearing from us and that His mercies are new every morning.

Key Takeaways

1. God is the Source, Not the Backup Plan True dependence on God means recognizing Him as the source of every good thing, not just someone to turn to when all else fails. Our work, wisdom, and even our very breath are gifts from Him. Prayer is not a last resort but a daily acknowledgment that we live by His provision and grace. [07:32]
2. Trust God for Today, Not Tomorrow’s Worries Jesus teaches us to focus on today’s needs, trusting God for daily provision rather than being consumed by anxiety about the future. God’s mercies are new every morning, and He invites us to bring today’s concerns to Him, leaving tomorrow in His hands. This daily trust frees us from the paralyzing weight of “what ifs” and grounds us in God’s faithfulness. [12:58]
3. Humble Dependence, Not Entitlement or Demand Our approach to God should be marked by humility, not entitlement or demand. We do not deserve God’s gifts, nor can we demand them, and doubt only distances us from His heart. Instead, Jesus calls us to a posture of humble dependence, trusting that God knows our needs and delights to provide for us. [16:20]
4. Hunger for God Himself, Not Just His Gifts The deepest longing of the human heart is not for what God can give, but for God Himself. Jesus is the bread of life, and our souls are truly satisfied only in His presence. Prayer is meant to draw us closer to Him, to feed on His presence, and to find our security not in His gifts, but in who He is. [20:53]
5. Prayer is Communal and Continual The Lord’s Prayer is intentionally communal—“give us”—reminding us to carry each other’s burdens and to intercede for others. Prayer is also a daily rhythm, a continual returning to God with our needs and the needs of others. God never tires of hearing from us, and we are invited to trust Him afresh each day. [26:09]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:19] - The Power of Hunger
[02:20] - Soul-Level Hunger
[03:15] - “Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread”
[06:31] - God as Our Ultimate Source
[07:32] - The Gift of Work and Dependence
[11:37] - Trusting God for Today’s Needs
[12:58] - God’s Mercies Are New Every Morning
[15:15] - Attitude Check: Deserve, Demand, Doubt, Depend
[16:20] - Humble Dependence in Prayer
[17:31] - Jesus, the Bread of Life
[18:35] - Our Deepest Hunger: For God Himself
[20:00] - God Is Our Portion
[20:53] - Security in God, Not His Gifts
[23:29] - The Communal Nature of Prayer
[26:09] - Carrying Each Other’s Burdens
[27:48] - Repeat Daily: The Rhythm of Prayer
[28:46] - God Never Tires of Our Prayers
[29:39] - Recap: Trusting God Every Day
[30:47] - Closing Prayer and Reflection
[31:34] - Questions for Deeper Reflection

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

In Matthew 6:11, what does Jesus specifically ask for in the Lord’s Prayer? What words does He use to describe the timing and amount?
According to Exodus 16, how did God provide for the Israelites’ daily needs in the wilderness? What instructions did He give about gathering manna?
In John 6:35, what does Jesus call Himself, and what promise does He make to those who come to Him?
The sermon says, “God is not just a provider of things; He is the source of life itself.” What examples from the Bible or your own life support this idea? [[06:31]]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus chose to use the words “this day” and “daily” in His prayer, instead of just asking for “bread”? What does this teach about our relationship with God? [[11:37]]
The Israelites were told to gather only enough manna for each day. What might have happened if they tried to gather more? How does this relate to trusting God for today’s needs instead of worrying about tomorrow? [[12:58]]
The sermon describes four attitudes we can bring to God: “I deserve it,” “I demand it,” “I doubt it,” and “I depend on God for it.” Why is humble dependence the attitude Jesus wants us to have? [[16:20]]
Jesus says He is the “bread of life.” What does it mean to hunger for God Himself, not just His gifts? How is this different from just asking God to meet our needs? [[17:31]]

Application Questions

The sermon asks, “Do I pray like God is my true source or my backup plan?” When you face a need or problem, what is your first instinct—to pray, or to try to fix it yourself? How could you practice looking to God first this week? [[07:32]]
Jesus teaches us to pray for “daily bread,” not tomorrow’s bread. Are there worries about the future that are distracting you from trusting God today? What is one practical way you can focus on today’s needs and leave tomorrow in God’s hands? [[12:58]]
Think about your attitude when you pray. Do you ever approach God with entitlement, demands, or doubt? What would it look like to come to God with humble dependence instead? [[16:20]]
The sermon says, “Our deepest hunger is not for God’s gifts, but for God Himself.” When you pray, do you spend more time asking for things or seeking God’s presence? How could you shift your prayers to reflect a deeper hunger for God Himself? [[20:53]]
The Lord’s Prayer says, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Who in your life might need you to pray for them right now? How can you carry someone else’s burden to God in prayer this week? [[26:09]]
The sermon encourages us to “repeat daily”—to keep coming back to God every day. What helps you stay consistent in prayer? What is one step you could take to make daily prayer a regular rhythm in your life? [[28:46]]
The pastor shared that God never gets tired of hearing from us. Have you ever felt like you were bothering God by praying about the same thing over and over? How does knowing God’s mercies are new every morning change your view of prayer? [[28:46]]

Sermon Clips

Hunger is a powerful force. Hunger makes people do bizarre things, and things that they would never do under normal circumstances. Have you ever been hungry? I mean, really, really hungry. But it's a very, very powerful force. I know that even after I have gone without food for a few hours, I can get weird. I get grumpy. I get shaky. I can get irrational. And hunger can go a whole lot deeper than just your stomach or your blood sugar. There is a hunger that can grip our souls. A hunger that a Snickers bar cannot fix. There's a hunger that can go deep, deep, deep. Have you ever been hungry at a soul level? [00:00:52]

Prayer is more about trusting than trying. It is more about belonging than about begging. [00:04:09]

Prayer invokes God's will and glory to invade our story. It calls in heaven to invade our lives and our world. [00:04:27]

Prayer trusts God himself for this day, every day. So let's explore some of what that means. That phrase, give us this day our daily bread. Well, it obviously means, first of all, that we are to look to the source. Look to the source. We are praying, our Father which art in heaven, or who art in heaven, our Father in heaven, you are the source. And so we come to you, Father, and ask, give us this day our daily bread. Let's not forget who's feeding us. God is our ultimate source. [00:05:10]

Now, we know that hard work and wise choices give us an edge, right? The Bible even says, if a man is not willing to work, it doesn't mean, it doesn't say if he's not able to work, it means if he's not willing to work. If a man is not willing to work, he ought not to eat. That's what the Bible says. So the Bible strongly emphasizes the importance of work and diligence. It emphasizes the importance of making wise choices, and hard work and wise choices definitely give us an edge in life. It's the way God set the system up. But we must never forget who gives us life and who gives us breath. For the ability to work hard comes from God. The inclination to work hard comes from God. The ability to make wise choices comes from God. [00:07:14]

Do I pray like God is my true source or my backup plan? Is prayer what you do when you run out of any other idea, when you're completely out of ideas? Well, I guess we better pray. [00:08:18]

When we pray our father in heaven give us this day our daily bread we are acknowledging that God is our source you you and we are looking to him as the source prayer trust in God himself for this day every day also when you pray give us this day our daily bread Jesus is telling us to trust God for this day's needs trust God for this day's needs. [00:09:40]

Give us this day our daily bread. This day, back in Exodus, when God sent manna from heaven, bread from heaven, for the Israelites in the wilderness, the Lord said to Moses, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. God is setting a precedent here of the importance of our focus on the day, on the now, on daily needs. [00:11:37]

How often do I let tomorrow's what if worries crowd out today's trust? Do you do that? Do you allow tomorrow's what if worries to crowd out your trust in God today? Jesus teaches us to pray give us this day our daily bread so trust God for this day's needs is what he means when he says that. [00:14:01]

There are four different attitudes we can bring to this idea of give us this day our daily bread. The first is, I deserve it. I deserve it. Well, I deserve it is an illusion. We can talk about that for a while. It's a whole different sermon, a whole different topic. But I deserve it is a dangerous direction to go in our hearts and our minds. If you and I got what we deserved, we would not be happy. So we need to be careful with the I deserve it mentality. [00:14:44]

Another attitude we can bring is, well, I doubt it. Have you ever prayed that way? Lord, here's a need. I don't think you're going to do anything about it. I'm really not sure you're going to bother with this one, but here it is anyway, just in case, Lord. We bring doubt into God's presence. But what about this one? I depend on God for it. Yes. That's what Jesus teaches us to pray. Give us this day our daily bread. Not because I deserve it, not because I demand it, and I'm going to do my best not to doubt it, but instead we're going to come into God's presence with humble dependence, humble trust, and depend on him for it. [00:15:55]

Jesus declared, I am the bread of life. Now that puts a whole new twist on give us this day our daily bread, doesn't it? Jesus said, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. [00:17:07]

Jesus said, it is written, man shall not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Jesus is saying there is a hunger in the human heart that's deeper than the hunger for physical food. [00:17:42]

Our deepest hunger, our deepest hunger is not for his stuff, but for himself. Most of us take a long time getting to that realization. Our deepest hunger, the thing that really nags at our souls, is not for God to give us more stuff or even better health and on and on. What really nags at the soul of a human being is a hunger for God himself, the bread of life, the true source. Our hearts crave the baker more than the bread. Our hearts crave the source more than the gifts. [00:18:20]

God does not nearly merely give us our portion. He is our portion. I remember at a time of job loss and uncertainty many years ago, realizing this truth. I had always trusted God to be my provider. And God started to show me in scripture that although he is my provider, he's more than that. He's my provision. God is not, he doesn't just give us our portion. He is our portion. He doesn't just provide for us. He is our provision. Our security is not in the stuff he gives us. Our security is in him, in who he is. He is the bread of life. [00:20:17]

Prayer is more like a what than a what remember this it's more like a love letter than a shopping list and it's because we're talking to the one who is our source who is our provision who is our portion he is the God who in himself supplies our deepest hearts need. [00:21:27]

Am I more interested in taking from God's hands or sitting at his feet? Is prayer for me more about what you got to give me today Lord or is it more about Lord I want to spend some time with you today I want to feed my heart on you I want to draw from your presence I want to spend time at your feet and in your presence that's really the first daily bread that we need. [00:22:02]

The Lord's Prayer is communal as you read through the Lord's Prayer you're going to spot these words are us are us are we are us us nine times we are us uh pitches a shutout against me mine and i in the Lord's Prayer you won't find the word i or me or my or mine in the Lord's Prayer but you'll find these words nine times the whole prayer is communal. [00:23:13]

Prayer is an opportunity to call on heaven to influence the outcome of someone else's struggle anywhere on earth, on earth as it is in heaven, anywhere on earth. Prayer is an opportunity to join in with someone else's struggle and call in the forces of heaven on their behalf, not just on my behalf. [00:25:00]

Repeat daily. You keep doing this. Jesus said, give us this day our daily bread. What does that say about tomorrow? You pray it again. You pray it again. Daily need, daily trust, daily prayer. Every morning, noon, and night, I cry out in distress and he hears my voice. [00:27:03]

There was a period of my Christian life where I really struggled with my prayer life because... I mean, we all struggle. I think we all struggle with our prayer lives. I know I do. I think most of us do. But I struggle with this particular issue in my prayer life that... It was like, I just said this yesterday. I just prayed this yesterday. Surely, God, you're sick and tired of this by now. And then, I don't know if I read it, if I heard it, or if the Holy Spirit just spoke it to me. I don't know where it came from. But I remember a shift in my thinking. When the Lord's Prayer came to my mind. And Jesus taught us to pray, Give us this day our daily bread. The strong, strong implication is, You pray it again tomorrow too. And the next day. And the next day. God isn't tired of hearing from you. Don't get tired of talking to Him. Don't get tired of it. His mercies are new every morning. [00:28:17]

So when you pray, when we pray, give us this day our daily bread, Jesus is telling us, look to the source. The Father is the one who gives it. Trust God for this day's needs, our daily bread. Come hungry for him, not just his help. Yes, we come for help, but come hungry for him. Not just his help, but the us in give us. And repeat daily. All that is wrapped up in that simple phrase. Give us this day our daily bread. Prayer, trust in God himself for this day. And again tomorrow. And the next day. And Wednesday. Every day. God in Christ is more than enough for you. God in Christ is more than enough for you today. Is he your daily bread? Is he what your soul feeds on? [00:29:39]

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