Our Daily Bread

Good Morning Ladies (and few gents),

Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. Matthew 6:9 NLT

Question 41: What is the Lord’s Prayer? Matthew 6:9 NLT

Answer: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

GiG, when Jesus’s disciples asked him to teach them to pray, Jesus gave them a model prayer. Many of us call this prayer the Lord’s Prayer. Although my Messianic Jewish friends, they call it the disciples prayer. True talk, it really is the Lord’s model prayer. It is the way Jesus taught his disciples to pray.

Pastor Juan Sanchez, senior pastor of High Pointe Baptist Church in Austin, Texas helps me sum this Catechism truth in bite size morsels, easy to digest.

When we say, “Our Father,” we remember that the God who created the universe is our Father in heaven. He is the Father who provides, sustains, protects, and we are able to run to our Father to let our needs be known.

Through this prayer Jesus also reminded us that he’s not only our Father but he’s also our King. So when we say, “Your kingdom come, your will be done,” we realize our Father is the King. He has complete and total authority over all things. And the greatest joy for us, his children, is that his name would be hallowed, be famous. “Our Father” reminds us that we’re not an only child; yikes! Even though we can often act like it. However, when we fail our Father, when we fail our King, we can ask for forgiveness.

The Lord’s model prayer instructs us that we are utterly dependent upon our Father for all of our daily needs. Don’t get this twisted; Jesus said to pray in this way: “Give us this day our daily bread.” To do this requires humility.

GiG, until God’s kingdom comes we need to understand that we are engaged in a spiritual battle, and we need protection. So naturally, we should ask our King to protect us. In fact, the apostle Paul reminds us that in this spiritual warfare that we don’t put on our armor, we put on God’s armor (Eph. 6:10-18). Yup, we put on our Father, the King’s armor and we fight in his strength. So it is right and good for us to remember, regardless of our circumstance, we are utterly dependent, moment by moment, breath by breath, on our Father King. Yes, we can run to him, come to him, and ask him for the things that we need.

May we be grateful and encouraged with this truth shared. In addition, as long as we have breath in us, we can live to make the King’s name famous, to hallow his name, both corporately and individually, longing for his kingdom to come.

God’s Got It…so we can HOPE—As we long for the return of Jesus, know that until that day comes, he will pardon our sin, provide our daily bread, and protect us from the Evil One. Let’s go engage in battle!

Have an “Awaiting the Messiah” Monday, June 24, 2019—recite the prayer Jesus taught us but keep us from reciting empty words. Bring your kingdom on earth to us and through us for your great name’s sake.

Called to serve and encouraging others to thrive,

DEA: Embracing a Work-Hard, Rest-Well Life and Loving My Priorities, Loving My Life