We pray for "our today’s bread". Read Matthew 6:11. When we pray the Lord’s prayer we include, “Give us this day our daily bread". Throughout history, people have started the day preoccupied with what they will eat that day or if they will eat. God as “Our Father in heaven” is the provider. God provides a world that produces food and gives us the ability to grow and gather the food that is provided. The prayer for "today’s bread" is a prayer of hope for the hungry and a recognition of God as the source of all food. When God answers our prayer and provides the harvest, we give thanks to God. When God answers our prayer and provides a meal, we give thanks to God for the food we are about to eat. One day as I was praying the Lord’s Prayer, I felt God nudge me with a question, “How big is your 'us'?” I paused to reflect on the prayer and how I understood it. As a child, my “us” was only my family as I imagined us sitting at the dinner table at 5:00 p.m. to eat our daily bread. At some point as a young adult, I had the awareness that as I prayed the Lord’s Prayer on Sunday morning with the congregation, I was including them as part of the hope that God will provide food for each person and family. As I felt God’s nudge, I realized that my "us" needed to be bigger than just my family and church. "Give 'us' this day our daily bread" is a prayer that I now pray for all people. I pray that every person on the planet will have their “daily bread.” In the United States, we live in the land of abundance. We have food. In many parts of the world, people have uncertainty about whether or not they will receive daily bread. The next time you pray The Lord’s Prayer, make your "us" bigger.



Holy God of Heaven, you are the provider of all good things. Today we pray that all people everywhere will receive their daily bread. We pray for our mission partners locally and globally that are focused on providing food to the least of these. Amen.