The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Matthew 6:9-13
Almost every morning, I will have a piece of toast or english muffin with butter and jam. For lunch, I will probably have a simple sandwich. These meals are uncomplicated and fill my daily needs. I rarely think about the bread used for my sandwich or it’s nutritional value. It is a simple staple I consume everyday – convenient and comfortable. Provisional food, I can easily take for granted in my dailyness.
Before Jesus taught us how to pray, he stated that, “God knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:8) That one singular statement provides a warm invitation, like a friend who has known me for a lifetime. That friend who knows all my faults, failures and dreams. The one who knows what I am about to say before I say it. The friend who knows my needs before I speak them.
Prayer is a way to connect with God as my friend – not just giving Him my wish list. Prayer is being simple and sincere. The Lord’s prayer is a great place to make that connection with God – discovering Him and my needs. Many times I don’t know what I will face that day but God does. In this prayer, I am asking God to provide for my needs (known and unknown) and anticipating His answer. The cool thing about prayer is that you do not have to wait for breakfast, lunch or dinner to get your daily dose of bread – it is available all the time. Prayer needs to be sincere and not rote – keep it real. I love to hear my kids pray. Even more so, I know God loves to hear me pray.
The Lord’s Prayer was one of the first prayers I learned to memorize. I have probably said it hundreds of times throughout my life. This prayer has always been a favorite, but as I studied it more in-depth it became even richer to me. Artos is the greek word for bread. It comes from the root word Airo. The meaning of Airo is to raise up, elevate and lift up. Another meaning is to take upon one’s self and carry what has been raised. Going to the root of this word, gave greater clarity as to why Jesus is known as the Bread of Life. He was elevated by the Heavenly Father to take up my sins on the cross. He was raised on the third day to reveal victory over sin. He is my daily bread – now and forever! Raised up to reveal God’s glory. Now why wouldn’t I want to connect with Him?!
Daily Bread
Simple. Sincere. Connect. Raise it Up.
Am I getting enough of my Daily Bread – Jesus?
What known and unknown needs has God met?