daily-bread

Good Words from Dietrich Bonhoeffer

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“Do not worry! Earthly goods deceive the human heart into believing that they give it security and freedom from worry. But in truth, they are what cause anxiety. The heart which clings to goods receives with them the choking burden of worry. Worry collects treasures, and treasures produce more worries. We desire to secure our lives with earthly goods; we want our worrying to make us worry-free, but the truth is the opposite. The chains which bind us to earthly goods, the clutches which hold the goods tight, are themselves worries.

Abuse of earthly goods consists of using them as a security for the next day. Worry is always directed toward tomorrow. But the goods are intended only for today in the strictest sense. It is our securing things for tomorrow which makes us so insecure today. It is enough that each day should have its own troubles. Only those who put tomorrow completely into God’s hand and receive fully today what they need for their lives are really secure. Receiving daily liberates me from tomorrow” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer).

That reminds me of something Jesus taught His disciples to pray. It was something about God giving us each day our daily bread. Something like that.

Of course, I jest a bit. We are told to ask daily for daily bread. Just like the manna in the desert for the children of God, we can’t stockpile or horde our daily bread. We only get enough for today. Tomorrow will take care of itself.

Worry doubts tomorrow’s provision. Worry doubts the heart of God. Worry forgets about all the days up to this one where God provided. But faith trusts not in the daily bread but in the Bread of Life.

Lord, give me today exactly what I need for today. Help me to trust you in the present and leave tomorrow’s troubles until tomorrow. Help me remember that you are already there and have already made provisions for me there. Amen.

How to Pray

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“The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:

Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what’s best—
as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You’re in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You’re ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes” (Matthew 6:7-13, The Message).

Lately, I find myself praying through the Lord’s Prayer quite a bit, especially when I can’t think of anything to pray on my own. It’s easy to pray through a line at a time and whatever comes to mind next. For example, I might pray “Our Father in heaven, above all that goes on here on earth, completely sovereign over all things yet intimately concerned with all my needs . . . “

You can pray through the entire passage like that. Sometimes, God will bring to mind another verse, like God working all things together for good in the place where you pray for God’s will to be done. Sometimes, I just pray through the Lord’s Prayer without any additional commentary.

It’s not about getting it perfect. I think God hears me just the same when the words flow as when I stumble all over myself trying to pray. The Bible says that God hears even when all I’ve got are groans and sighs too deep for words. Besides, it’s not like I’m telling God what He doesn’t already know.

I think that prayer isn’t giving God new information, but helping me see it from His perspective. I’m taking it to God, and sometimes it changes my circumstances, and other times it changes me in the middle of my circumstances.

I’d like to be able to pray for hours and hours, but I think God’s okay with me offering up short prayers throughout the day. I think the idea is to keep the line of communication open and always have a mindfulness of God wherever I am and whatever I’m doing.

Daily Bread Vs. a Lifetime Supply

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Recently, a friend sent me an article about trusting God for daily bread versus really wanting God to dump a year’s worth of supply in one drop so I don’t have to worry. In my flesh, I’d rather be set for life than have to be like the Israelites of old and trust God for daily provision.

Speaking of those ol’ people of God, they didn’t always listen. When God said to gather only as much as manna as you need for that day, they thought they’d be oh so smart and oh so clever and gather two or three days’ worth. What happened? The excess manna rotted and smelled to high heaven, as did the people’s attitude.

God supplies our needs daily because He knows our ultimate need isn’t bread. What we need most isn’t physical. We need God, and when we learn to trust God for each day, our dependence deepens and grows as we see each day’s needs met.

I confess I’m not very good at that. I tend to be forgetful. Thankfully, God has a gentle way of reminding me of the last 10,000 times He’s provided for me (sometimes without me even knowing or asking). He’s faithful even when I’m faithless and forgetful.

Anyway, I included the original article if you want to be blessed as much as I was:

Why Daily Bread Is Better