If you’ve been to IBG meetings in recent years, you’ve probably heard me encouraging everyone to pray the Lord’s Prayer as a mission prayer. We’ve previously unpacked the phrase “Hallowed be thy name” as asking God to make is name known and honored – hallowed – from one end of the earth to the other. Quite missional! It is so easy to treat this amazing prayer as a ritual prayer to be recited without reflection, so let’s unpack another phrase.

Matt 6:11 “Give us this day our daily bread”. It seems obvious what this is about - a reminder that everything we have comes from Him and we are dependent upon God for all we need. At a mission conference this week, a speaker referenced this and asked if this meant anything more than wishing for a meal at Chick-fil-A. Or Chipotle, or a basket full of groceries from Costco? Well, it certainly means the food we need to live and thrive, but so much more.

What does this phrase mean to a pensioner in eastern Ukraine with battles going on just miles away? Does their daily bread involve being given a night of sleep without being woken to explosions. Or to a child in Africa hoping that their mother would survive the latest illness so someone would be there to care for them? What is their daily bread? To a Pastor in Ethiopia whose only access to the Word of God is a century-old book of Psalms written in a trade language they barely understand? Would their daily bread involve having access to a complete Bible to teach their flock from?

Context is always important in reading scripture. Verse 9 before the phrase “give us this day our daily bread” is the verse on asking God to make his name known. Verse 10 pleads for His will to be done – on earth as it is in heaven. A call for God to complete His work to restore all creation as He intended. It’s a plea for restoration. We then ask that he give us our daily bread, and in context, this means so much more than getting good eats. God’s will includes us choosing to get involved in His work of restoring lost people to himself. The mandate includes both the great commission and great commandment. Does our daily bread involve asking God to give us what we need to accomplish the mission he intends for each of our lives?

In John 6:35 Jesus states “I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (ESV)”. This is the living Bread who empowers us through the Holy Spirit to live righteous lives. I think this might be closer to what Jesus meant when he gave us the Lord’s Prayer. So, Bible giver, when you pray the Lord’s Prayer, what kind of bread are you asking for? It’s perfectly fine to ask our father for the physical things we need, but let me challenge us: If we are going to ask God for bread, shouldn’t we be bold and ask for “the whole loaf”? A metaphor to ponder. In the meantime,

Give Hope! Give Life! Give Bibles!

Chuck