Matthew 6:11 & 13 Give us this day our daily bread … And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
You might be questioning why I skipped verse 12. Rest assured, I will get to it in the next post. I believe that the topic of forgiveness needs to stand alone so we can focus on what Jesus says specifically about the subject.
After acknowledging Who we are talking to (9a), worshiping (9b), and asking for God’s kingdom to advance (10) we are now at the section where we make our requests for our needs. Notice that this section is only 7 words long. It is just 13% of the prayer. That is in stark contrast to many prayers that consist mainly of asking God for material goods and blessings.
God delights in giving good gifts to His children. It is certainly fine to tell God what you need, and even what you want. If we find that this takes up a significant part of our prayer time, it probably indicates a self-centeredness that needs to be dealt with. God knows what you need before you ask (Matthew 6:8) and instead of telling God what you want you might consider asking God what He wants you to have. I have found through several painful experiences that God knows what is better for me than I do.
Jesus instructs us to ask for our “daily” bread. In other words, ask for what you need for the present. That way you have to keep coming back to God on a daily basis to ask Him for each day’s bread. Not only does that keep us humble but it keeps us in regular contact with God. I am often tempted to ask for more than I need. Part of that temptation is so that I will have my needs met in advance and not need to hit my knees regularly. God keeps reminding me that line of thinking is missing the point.
“Daily bread” does not mean that we need to ask for the bare minimum. God is generous. Like any good Father God enjoys giving good things to His children. Many places in the Bible we are told to ask (Matthew 7:7-11, Mark 6:22, James 4:2 to name a few). However, God does not give to us for us to hoard His gifts for ourselves. When God is generous with us we should share that generosity with others. By sharing with others, we spread God’s blessings and we use up the daily bread so God can give us a fresh supply tomorrow.
Verse 13 is a bit confusing to some people. What does it mean “lead us not into temptation”? Does God tempt us? No! God does not tempt (James 1:13). God does lead us into situations where we will be tempted though. Please see my post on Matthew 4:1 (February 8, 2019) to read more about this.
Most of the time, I do not need God to lead me into temptation. I am quite able to take myself there on my own. When I find myself there I need to pray for God to deliver me from evil. God does not always protect us from temptation, or suffering. However, when we ask God to deliver us from evil He will give us victory over sin and the schemes of the devil.
Heavenly Father, please provide abundantly for my present needs so that I can have enough to share with others. Do not take me anywhere Your strength will not keep me from falling into sin. Empower me to overcome evil and live victoriously.