Scripture: Matthew 6:11-13 (ESV) — “ Give us this day 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 evil.”
This part of the Lord’s Prayer is about the most important part of your day.
Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” It’s the most important part of your day because it could be the difference between having peace and living with a troubled heart.
The tendency of our hearts is to partner with the lie that God’s faithfulness has no answer for our sin. Satan wants you to believe that God’s promises, which drew you into fellowship with Him, came with a “Use By” date. The truth is that God’s mercies are constantly regenerating new life in us. He provides us with a fresh batch of everything we need to live in the power of His Word.
“Our daily bread” means many things. Perhaps you think it’s about His Word producing life in you. Or maybe you think it’s about God supplying all of your practical needs. It is about those things and much more. Asking God to give you your daily bread is saying to Him that you recognize your sustenance is not defined by your fleshly cravings. It’s defined by God’s prescription for your soul. It’s eating daily from the plentiful fields of mercy that never go bare.
Jesus highlights that at the heart of what we most desperately need is a life thriving in forgiveness. Forgiveness destroys barriers to relationships. Even right now, you might have a relationship that hangs in the balance between forgiveness and unforgiveness.
Forgiveness ends the standoff between darkness strangling you and Jesus saving you. It saves you from your past as well as your future. Forgiveness also leads the way to freedom from the bondage of Satan. Broken relationships will remain broken when forgiveness can’t reign.
Today is another day that God has crafted. He has designed it for victory over evil. Look to Him for deliverance before the plans of the enemy have a chance to become the blueprint for your day. Continually invite Him to be your Deliverer. Surrender the hurts from your past to Him. Let God remind you that just because you remember the hurt doesn’t mean you must live in the hurt. It’s time to remember that the fresh works of Christ remain.
Today can be a simple yet profound journey. It’s a journey of receiving God’s forgiveness while not being stingy with the fruit of it. As you walk from forgiveness, may you also walk in forgiveness. Not embracing it means your day can’t be blessed by it.
Can you pray this prayer with a sincere desire for broken relationships to be mended? Are there people in your life who need your forgiveness for both your deliverance and theirs?
It’s a prayer for God’s intervention in you, as well as a declaration that you will be a vessel for His intervention in others.
Reflection Questions:
Ask God to show you what His provision of “daily bread” looks like for you today. Is there a need for rest? Perhaps you need peace. Maybe it’s strength to forgive. What are His blueprints for your day?
Is there someone, or are there people, whom you need to forgive? Take time to pray for God’s strength and guidance for reconciliation.
Can you think of a time when you received someone’s forgiveness? You hurt them, and they decided to bless you in return. What did this do for your life? How can you do something similar for someone else today?