Prayer - Part 4
Give us today our daily bread
Give in Greek is didõmi [didʹ-o-mee],
implying to bestow, grant or offer to someone, amongst other meanings.
Today [this day] in Greek is sēměrŏn
[say´-mer-on],
meaning this very day.
Daily in Greek is ěpiŏusiŏs
[ep-ee-oo´-see-os], implies subsistence for this very day.
Bread in Greek is artos [arʹ-tos],
and it means a loaf of raised bread.
Remove falsehood and
lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches—
feed me with the food allotted to me.
Proverbs 30:8 (NKJV)
Contextually I am of the opinion that it is important for us to extend the above request to include asking the Father to supply us with all the other aspects of our daily existence, like work and covering transport requirements, amongst other items. It is crucial to remember that God is not an ATM. He knows what you need before you ask Him.
Paul writes this interesting prayer that he prays over the
church in Ephesus.
“For this reason I kneel before the
Father, from whom
his whole family in heaven and on
earth derives its name.
I pray that out of his glorious
riches he may
strengthen you with power through his
Spirit in your inner being,
so that Christ may dwell in your
hearts through faith. And I pray that
you, being rooted and established in
love, may have power, together
with all the saints, to grasp how
wide and long and high and deep is the
love of Christ, and to know this love
that surpasses knowledge --- that
you may be filled to the measure of
all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do
immeasurably more than all we ask
or imagine, according to his power
that is at work within us,
to him be glory in the church and in
Christ Jesus throughout
all generations, for ever and ever!
Amen.”
Ephesians 3:14-21
In the above prayer, Paul is talking about two groups of people: those who are already in heaven and those who are still on earth, living for Jesus. This prayer is about asking the Father to enrich the people with spiritual blessings such that they can represent Jesus in the fullness of the Father at maximum capacity, as is their measure of faith.
As we say, an honest wage for an honest day’s work. Will not God give us what we need, dare I say, what we deserve, if we please Him while we do what we do on earth? Did not God supply the Israelites and ensure that their clothes and sandals did not wear out during their time of the wanderings? Do you know that God only stopped the food source once they had crossed the Jordan and celebrated their first Passover (Deuteronomy 29:5, Joshua 5:12)?
Just as we ask God to give to us, so we should not
withhold giving to others.