Title: What Do We Pray? /Matthew 6:11
When we talk about prayer, we should look for God's interests before our own interests (family, home, friends, business). In the prayer Jesus taught, he prayed for God's name, His kingdom, and His will: "Hallowed be your name, Thy kingdom, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
In this way, God puts God's interests first and then human concerns: "Give us our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." It is a prayer for physical claim, forgiveness of sins, and spiritual victory. And the prayer ends with a new awareness of the glory of God. The above three requests include both our physical and spiritual needs.
I. The God Who Cares for the Necessary
The first thing we ask for is for our bodies. 'Give us our daily bread' This includes our food, clothing, and shelter, as well as a good workplace and various physical needs. That's not to say you're asking for extras. 'My God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus' (Philippians 4:19). Sometimes God gives us many luxuries, but in fact, they can be harmful to us spiritually. We didn't ask you to ask for these things. He told you to get what you need.
How can I know if I am willing to respond to the needs of our lives? Jesus said that God's will is clear. 'Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened.' how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him' (Matthew 7:7-11).
These verses give three lessons about prayer.
1. Before we come to God, we must become children of God.
2. As children of God, we are invited and required to come before God.
3. God is pleased to respond to those who come.
When we come to God through the Lord Jesus Christ in prayer and in the Holy Spirit, we do not come as enemies of God. He came as a child of God as a family member. A worldly father is neither a stranger nor an enemy in front of his children, but there is a limit to what he can do for the children he loves.
But we, who come to a God of love, will and mercy, want to be known and loved as His children. That God calls us to come to Him and urges us to pray, 'Give us our daily bread.' The words 'this day' and 'daily' require repeated prayers. The two repetitions in this short prayer (consisting of 72 words in Greek) show that it is very important.
For many years, New Testament scholars have not been able to find the meaning of the words 'epiousios' and 'today'. Because it was seldom used in ordinary Greek books. But now, the meaning has been revealed by the discovery of the word in papyrus excavated in Egypt. The manuscript is part of the book of accounts, where it reads '½ obol for epious' (obol is an ancient Greek silver coin, 1/6 drachma). It means 'every day' ½ obol. This could be read as a shopping list, an instruction to someone to buy tomorrow.
This manuscript can be compared with Latin inscriptions found at Pompeii. The inscription 'consumes 5 diaria' (diaria is synonymous with epiousios), that is, consume 5 today.
In this sense, the fourth request in the prayer the Lord taught us is that God give us our daily bread.
II. our daily bread
It is a prayer to ask God for our daily needs. An important truth can be found here. First, it shows that God cares for our bodies. Many believers have the wrong idea that spiritual things are important to us and that physical things should be minimized as much as possible. This kind of faith is usually prone to asceticism or celibacy. This is not biblical. Jesus worked several times to heal human diseases and also to satisfy physical hunger. Therefore, the salvation of Christ accomplishes not only the salvation of the soul, but also the whole salvation through the resurrection of the body. Second, we must learn to live one day at a time if we are to live the life God wants us to live. We should not worry about or worry about the unknown future. It means to depend on God and live moment by moment.
Of course, our lives and our future shouldn't be completely dependent on them. Instead, we must be content with God.
If you are a true Christian, tell me about a time when God was unfaithful to you. What was lacking in your needs? Sometimes God has taken something from us. It was to teach us something and to glorify God. It is not because God wants His children to suffer when we feel our need is lacking. God is always faithful to us. Therefore, you must rely solely on God for your today and tomorrow.
III. spiritual need
It should be pointed out that we need a spiritual regimen. We must also eat spiritually. Jesus said that he is the bread of life (John 6:41) and the water of life that never thirsts. "Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst" (John 6:35). But Jesus turns to himself from the flesh and becomes the bread of life and living water that satisfies and cools the hungry soul.
What does it mean to eat Jesus Christ spiritually? It means that Jesus Christ is the source of all spiritual life and we grow spiritually as we draw close to Him and learn Him. Without it, we would be spiritually hungry and hungry. “Therefore the LORD has given them what they asked for, yet their souls are weary” (Psalm 106:15).
Even today, many people are poor in spirit in abundance. Do you know of such a weakened, poor soul? So, although we are meeting our physical needs by all means, are we still spiritually weak because we cannot look to God? While we often pray, “Give me my daily bread,” we fail to pray for spiritual bread that comes down from heaven. It is sad that we are hungry to find fulfillment, love, and happiness, but we are not even looking for spiritual food to be satisfied with God.
IV. dispensing his scent
John 6 shows that Jesus is the Savior and preserver of life. There Jesus will fill us with the abundance of spiritual life to impart to others what we have received. We are filled with Christ. If we have received from his hand, what we have received, we must share.
Our life as Christians is like a bottle of homesickness. The fragrance is Christ. We are called to impart his fragrance to the world. But if the perfume bottle is sealed or closed, we cannot fulfill that mission. If we want to share incense, whether it is breaking a bottle or allowing others to come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ through us, or Jesus making wine at a wedding in Cana or feeding 5,000 people by miracles of 5 bottles and 2 fish in the wilderness of Bethsaida. The Lord must fill us with miracles.
You have learned the Word. But if you fail to share what you have learned with others, you should fix it. Share your experiences with Jesus. If you don't, you won't be filled and you won't be filled any more.
The three requirements of the Lord's Prayer - life's necessities, forgiveness, and deliverance - are not singular (I, me) but plural (we, us, to us). This is not a prayer for me alone, it is a collective prayer with others.
When we pray, there are times when we pray selfishly for ourselves. But the Lord has taught us to pray for many of us. If you have prayed to God for others, that is, learn and practice how to pray for others to eat, for forgiveness of sins, and deliverance from temptation. Therefore, this prayer is an intercession for others. When you pray like this, you will give to others and enter the heart of Jesus who prayed for all who followed him.