October 22 I Thursday

Isaiah 65-66

1 Timothy 2

“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 the evil one.”

—Matthew 6:11-13

The Lord’s Prayer teaches us that prayer is first and foremost concerned about God. The second part of the prayer involves three areas of our needs: physical, spiritual and moral. As we are engaged in the worship of God, concerned with the work of God and living in submission to the will of God, we recognize we have needs that only God can provide for.

When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, the first thing he said was, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread” (Matthew 4:3). The first area of attack was over food because Jesus was fasting for forty days. Our attitude towards food in the Bible is important. This is why we pray “Give us today our daily bread,” for God to give enough to satisfy our physical needs for today, which He does. Sometimes we are worried about tomorrow, but from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself” (Matthew 6:34). Instead, we should pray, “Lord, You know my need. Thank you for providing health, strength, food and clothes that I have today.”

We bring our spiritual needs when we ask, “Forgive us our debt, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” We need to be forgiven and also forgiving. Our relationship with God is not just designed to meet our needs, but to benefit others as well. Our attitude and relationships with others will have a bearing on our relationship with God. 
1 John 4:20 says, “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” Therefore, when God begins to work in people’s lives we often find one of the first things they begin to do is put things right with other people.

Lastly, God meets our moral needs as we plead, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” When we are concerned with God, we can be absolutely sure that there will be temptations and attacks from the evil one. This is why we pray recognizing we cannot face the pressures of living this life alone—we need the enabling and the empowering of God.

The Lord’s Prayer shows that our physical, spiritual and moral needs can be met when we place our focus on God. As we pray to Him, may we remember to, “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

Prayer: Lord Heavenly Father, thank You for providing my physical, spiritual and moral needs. Turn my heart and desire to seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness. Amen!