Our Daily Bread
Do you know a child who is picky about what she eats? I do. If she was allowed to fix her own plate, guess what would be on it. Two cookies, a donut, several pieces of candy, and a large scoop of ice cream. That’s why she needs a mother to fix her plate for her.
Guess what. Most of us are picky little kids when it comes to fixing our “plates of life” each day. We want lots of good things happen to us, everyone to treat us kindly, many kudos, and, of course, no pain or suffering. Thankfully we have a God who fixes our plates for us each day because he knows what’s best for us. A “candy and cake” diet will not only spoil us but ruin our spiritual health.
With this in mind, we read Jesus’ exhortation on prayer today (Matthew 6:7-15).
“In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
Do you know anyone who loves to hear themselves talk? When you ask them how they are doing, you open the door to an endless monologue. At some point during their babbling, you shut them off and just put up with the noise. Apparently, the pagans of Jesus day prayed this way. Their prayer was an endless monologue. There was no room for God to say anything. Maybe they thought that if they bombarded him with enough words, he’d give them what they wanted just to shut them up. Do we ever pray this way? Do we have our catalog of prayers that we say each day thinking they have the magic power to twist God’s arm? Are we babblers?
Having warned against babbling, Jesus then taught them the Our Father.
“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name…”
The second half of the prayer is the “gimme” part.
“Give us this day our daily bread…”
Just seven words cover all the bases—three seconds to recite if prayed slowly. What are we doing in this prayer? Aren’t we asking God to “fix our plates” for the day? Aren’t we telling him that he knows what best for us? There will be a few scoops of blessings that make us feel good, a helping of pain and suffering shaped like a cross, and a handful of opportunities for serving him during the day. It is for us to be dutiful children and gladly “eat” whatever he chooses to put on our plates. Do we find ourselves being picky children who want to push aside the cross because it doesn’t appeal to us? Or do we “eat” it with a grouchy look on our faces? Do we think that we know better than God what to put on our plates?
Three seconds doesn’t sound like time enough to ask God for the list of needs that we have. What do we do after that? Trust in Him! As our day unfolds, we trust that whatever comes our way is part of the “daily bread” we asked for. We ask his help in accepting our lives as they are, especially the unpleasant parts.
Yesterday was about fasting. Today is about prayer. Let’s examine our prayer lives. Are we babbling? Do we take time just to listen to God’s voice? Do we spend time thanking him even for the unpleasant things he allows to come our way?
“One does not live by bread alone…” (Matthew 4:4).
