Peter Rufus
18 December 2016
What Christians Pursue
The Pursuit of Christ's Model for Prayer
Matthew 6:11

"Give us this day our daily bread" comes after "Your will be done" in the Lord's prayer, because praying for God's name should come first. But Jesus nonetheless commands us to pray for basic needs, praying without self-sufficiency, praying as a community, and praying repeatedly.

Asking for basic needs. Recognition of the need for prayer is the recognition of reliance on God. We are reliant on God for even the daily necessities, just as the sparrows are fed by God (Matt 6:26). We are to ask God for all our daily needs, and trust He will provide. Although God does not promise a Mercedes, the provision of daily bread is just as miraculous.

Asking without self-sufficiency. The word "give" denotes a sense of urgency; that we are in desperate need of our daily bread. As sheep, we are dependent on the Shepherd for everything. Although we often think we can take care of little things ourselves, they also come from God. Like the account of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4, we ascribe to ourselves the things that God has provided. Jesus is teaching us to pray with reliance and gratitude.

Asking as a community.

Asking repeatedly.