Jesus continues his teaching on prayer by modelling that we should ask God to give us our daily bread. This verse reveals that God cares about our needs.
The two stories that Jesus tells after this prayer emphasise this point. The first is of a person who goes to a friend at midnight to ask for bread. After initially being
denied, the persistence convinces the friend to honour the request. The second story is of a parent who wouldn’t give a snake or a scorpion to their child, instead of a fish or an egg. Jesus reminds us that God hears our prayers and will always give us more than we could need or imagine.
It is essential to note that the needs Jesus mentions are fundamental necessities for survival – bread, fish, and eggs were staples in the diet
of people during Jesus’ time. These are not luxuries and selfish requests, but basic foods that everyone should have access to. While God certainly cares about all of our desires, Jesus’ prayer reminds us not to pray selfishly and to consider what is truly important in our desires.
Jesus’ use of the plural pronoun, our, reveals that our prayer for sustenance should not only be for ourselves but for our neighbours as well.
The need for daily bread is universal. As we ask God to provide for our daily needs, we should be aware that many parts of the world lack access to even these basic necessities. As we pray for God to meet our personal needs, let us also ask God to help us meet the needs of those around us.
Take a moment to reflect on your prayer requests.
Do they line up with Jesus’ guidelines in this
passage?
How can you be more intentional about asking God to meet your basic needs while also realising the role you have to play in meeting the needs of others?
Reflections by Joe Taylor
