“Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread”

Confessing at the Table Our Total Dependency on God

 

Insights from the Structure – The Nature of the Shift:

-          The whole prayer balances on this petition

-          A change from “your” to “us” moves the focus

-          A move from offering God our obedience to demonstrating our complete trust in His grace – (a shift in perception)

-          The focus is on God and His honor

-          “V” structure – the point where divine and human connect

-          “Daily Bread” – the pivot on which the whole prayer style and lifestyle of the follower of Jesus rests

-          The two sides must remain balanced for solid spiritual formation to be maintained

 

Insights from the Text:

-          spiritual and material are integrally related to each other

-          the acid test of our commitment and theology

-          demonstrates whether we depend on grace or not

-          material bread is central and necessary

-          Jesus revealed himself to the disciples when breaking bread

-          J.I. Packer: “all life’s necessities and the means of supplying them”

 

“BREAD” – The Levels of meaning:

1. physical bread – a staple of life especially in biblical times
2. non-specific physical nourishment – 2 Thess. 3:8
3. Jesus calls Himself “the living bread that came down from heaven.” (Jn. 6:51)

 

Luke 22:19 – The Last Supper – Jesus lifts up bread (all three elements at once) and declares, “This is My body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.”  We continue to recognize all three levels today.

 

“DAILY” and “THIS DAY”:

-          the only occurrence of this Greek word in the entire New Testament

-          years of research point the meaning to “daily rations” – equivalent

-          no refrigeration – daily market items – perishables

-          asking God to provide sustenance adequate for “this day”

-          bread is shorthand for grace – it cannot be saved for the future – new daily

-          no fearful looking to the future – God gives grace to the humble

 

“US” and “OUR”:

-          for daily bread, we always pray in community

-          God’s desire is for His people – us – to trust Him implicitly for everything in life – starting with our daily bread and needs – then giving to other’s needs.

 

A Growing Understanding of Who God Is:

-          a simple faith in the God who provides (God’s name – jireh – provider)

-          God is the source of all things – He will provide all we need

-          our motivation is to serve His kingdom

-          to return to dependency requires strategic practice

-          rehearse proclaiming our dependency on God at meal times

-          God’s blessings lead to an increasing dependency on Him

 

-          a greater connection with all those created by God

-          meal time prayer acknowledges dependency on God and each other

 

An Enlarged Sensitivity to Grace:

-          daily, offer thanks for the gift of grace and bread on the table

-          recognize and be sensitive to grace in all its diverse forms

-          “A Christian person shaped by grace in order to become a source of grace to others” (p. 64)

-          What sources or means of grace do you use regularly?  Do not use regularly?

-          be aware and recognize these to form a rule of life

-          increase the skill of accessing grace

-          begins with the daily request for bread at the table

-          trust God to meet our daily NEEDS – freedom from materialism

-          become more gracious and giving people

-          dispense grace to those around us without loss to ourselves

-          learn to receive grace well to become one who celebrates grace with thanksgiving

-          “People who have been blessed repeatedly sing praise to God.” (p. 65)

 

Implications for Participating in the Lord’s Table:

-          an abundance of grace available at the Lord’s Table

-          Jesus revealed himself to his disciples while breaking bread (Lk. 24:13-32)

-          He still comes to His followers with grace at the Lord’s Table

-          Times of grace at the Table will help sustain us in difficulties

 

“To live and pray this prayer of total trust in God will reorient a person’s life.  People who pray this petition will become grace-sensitive, grace-filled, grace-enabled grace dispensers” (p. 66)

 

Principle12:    “Spiritual Formation is Learning to Live in the Physical and the

  Spiritual Worlds at the Same Time”

 

All Scripture from – The Holy Bible (NIV) – Zondervan Publishing Co.

2 Thess 3:8

8 nor did we eat anyone's food without paying for it.

John 6:51

51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

Luke 24:13-32

13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.

17 He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"

They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"

19 "What things?" he asked.

"About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see."

25 He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.

30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"