Kneel beside Moses and listen as he prays. “Thank you, Jehovah God, for saving your people from slavery and for taking them safely and miraculously through the Red Sea. But Lord, have you seen this wilderness? It’s dry and desolate! And Lord, this hungry hoard needs some food. Oh God, give us today our daily bread!” For four decades God’s people were utterly dependent upon God’s gracious provision. They certainly would have died of thirst and starvation, but God’s supply was sufficient.
So, I ask, are we any different? Are we any less dependent upon His provision? Oh, our pantry is stocked. Our freezer is full. There’s money in the bank. But are we self-sufficient or are we utterly dependent? Jesus taught us to acknowledge God’s absolute sovereignty by praying, “Give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11, CSB).
He also taught us to pray: “And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone in debt to us” (Luke 11:4, CSB). That’s a compound thought. First, we ask for forgiveness. I’m not exactly pure and perfect. I’m faulty. I’m messed-up. I stumble and fall on a regular basis. I constantly need God’s forgiveness. How ‘bout you?
Secondly, we ask for the God-given grace to extend forgiveness to others. When someone hurts me, I’m prone to carry a grudge. I need God to help me act like Jesus, the One who prayed, “Father, forgive them!” (Luke 23:34).
Jesus also taught us to pray, “lead us not into temptation” (Matthew 6:13, ESV).
David, the shepherd-boy, giant-slayer, and king, knew that God was his shepherd. “The Lordis my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (Psalm 23:1–3, ESV). Like David, we can be certain that God will lead us away for danger, so as obedient sheep, we need to turn away from temptation and submissively follow the Good Shepherd.
Next, we’re instructed to pray, “deliver us from evil.” David represented his entire nation as he fought and defeated Goliath. Likewise, Jesus represented all mankind at Calvary where He defeated sin and death. When we obediently pray “deliver us from evil” we invite our Divine Deliverer to protect us “against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens” (Ephesians 6:12, CSB).
“Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:11–13, CSB).
