The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1907, Page 82

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82

The Lutheran Pioneer.

The Lord’s Prayer.

Tue FourtH PETITION.
Give us this day our daily bread.

What does this mean?

God gives daily bread indeed without our prayer,
also to all the wicked; but we pray in this petition
that He would lead us to know it, and to receive our
daily bread with thanksgiving.

What, then, is meant by daily bread?

Everything that belongs to the support and
wants of the body, such as food, drink, clothing,
shoes, house, home, field, cattle, money, goods,
a@ pious spouse, pious children, pious servants, pious
and faithful rulers, good government, good weather,
peace, health, diseipline, honor, good friends, fatth-
ful neighbors, and the like.

The Lord Jesus always teaches us to think first
of the soul. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and
His righteousness,” he says Matt. 6, 33. Accord-
ingly, He also teaches us to pray, first of all, for
those things which our soul stands in need of. For
such spiritual benefits we ask the Lord in the first
three petitions.

But, now, we have a body, too, and this body
stands in need of various things. May we ask the
Lord for such needful things? Most certainly; for
He Himself teaches us to ask for them in the Fourth
Petition where He tells us to pray: “Give us this
day our daily bread.”

The Lord tells us to ask for daily bread, and
what the word bread here includes Luther explains
to us. Not only does daily bread in this petition
include all food and drink, but clothing, shoes,

house, and home, yes, even a pious husband or wife,
‘good children, etc. Our Catechism names over
twenty of the most necessary things included in
daily bread. Besides these necessaries there are
many others; for, as Luther tells us, daily bread
here includes everything necessary to the support
and wants of the body. Of course, you will not be
able to think of all these things when you say the
Lord’s Prayer. ‘Therefore, think of those things
which at the time you need most. If you are a
farmer and there has been a long dry spell, think
of the needful rain at the word “bread”; if you or
one of your dear ones is ill, then let “bread” mean
health; or if you have a disobedient child, then let
“daily bread” spell a pious child, etc. :
: Our petition teaches us to ask God for our daily
bread. It is.God that-gives it. True, we have to

work; but of what use is all our work if God does
not give His blessing? The farmer may be ever so
diligent and careful in plowing and sowing: if God
holds back the rain and sunshine, the harvest will
be a failure. And thus it is with the work of us
all: God’s blessing is needed to make it a success.

That God should give us daily bread is pure
goodness and mercy on His part; there is no merit
or worthiness on our part that could prompt Him
to do so. In His wonderful goodness, God even
gives daily bread to all the wicked, who never ask
and never thank Him for it. “He maketh His sun
to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth
rain on the just and on the unjust,” Matt. 5, 45.

Our daily bread thus being God’s free gift,
should we not gladly ask Him for it and by such
prayer acknowledge Him as the Giver? But, alas,
how often do we forget to do so! How often do we
not take the bountiful gifts of God from His hands
without thinking these things are God’s gifts, and
without thanking the Giver! O how sad to see so
many people receiving their daily bread without
petition or thanksgiving !

Remember, God can make us to know that daily
bread comes from Him, by sending want and sick-
ness. Do we want to learn our lesson in this way?
O no; let us rather deplore the ingratitude of our
hearts, and pray God to give us His Holy Spirit
that through Him we may be led to know from
whom all good gifts come, and receive them with
thanksgiving. —

The Lord Jesus not only in general bids us pray
for daily bread, but gives us special directions con-
cerning such prayer.

Jesus bids us pray for our bread. This little
word our is to remind us of the fact that we have
the right to eat that bread only which we have
worked for. Paul writes 2 Thess. 3, 10—12: “If
any would not work, neither should he eat.” Neither
should any goods unjustly got be mingled with that
which we call our property. We are to eat our
bread, bread which we earned by our work; all

. bread got by needless begging, cheating, and steal-

ing is not ours. Of course, if we should be unable
to work because of sickness or some other good
cause, we need not hold back from asking God to
give us our daily bread; and the bounteous Father
in heaven will surely be pleased to give us what we
need.

Further Jesus bids us ask for our daily bread,
for that bread which we need for the day. We must
not ask for riches and plenty, but “having. food and