The Good Life: Pray Like This…Part 2 Matthew 6:7-15

In the movie Shenandoah, Jimmy Stewart plays a wealthy landowner during the civil war. His wife dies and he is left with the children. Although he was not a God fearing man, his wife was faithful and she prayed before every meal. With her gone, the children ask the father to pray. So, Jimmy Stewart prayed something to the affect of,

“Dear Lord, thank you for this meal. We plowed the ground, we planted the seed, we pulled the weeds, we harvested the wheat, we ground the flour, we baked the bread, but thank you, Lord, for this meal.”

When I first watched this scene as a non-believer, I could relate to Jimmy Stewart. I was the one doing all the work, yet God was being thanked for the meal. I didn't understand how that worked until I was genuinely saved and brought into the kingdom of light. God has given me a better understanding of what it means to pray, "Lord, give us this day our daily bread." Let me share it with you.

Jesus specifies the type of bread we should ask of the Father: daily bread. Daily bread is the amount of bread needed for the day. It is reminiscent of Proverbs 30:8-9

Proverbs 30:8–9 ESV

8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, 9 lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.

It also refers to God’s people traveling in the wilderness for forty years. Every morning, God provided manna, bread from heaven, for their daily needs. The bread from heaven was physically edible bread given by God to sustain their physical life. So, the essence of the prayer is for God to provide for all of our physical needs, but not only our physical needs. When Jesus prays, “Give us this day our daily bread,” there is a communal aspect to the prayer. Jesus rarely promotes individualism within the community of God. Even in prayer, we must keep our church family in mind. It's not just about our needs; it's about the earthly needs of our church family as well.

So, why does Jesus qualify bread with the word "daily"? What is Jesus teaching us when he says to ask our Father for daily bread? Taking into account the Israelites in the wilderness, Jesus is teaching us to depend on the Father for our earthly needs every day. Just as God humbled Israel and tested them to live by faith daily in his provision of manna, Jesus is teaching us to humble ourselves and depend on the Father for our needs every day. Jesus is fostering a spirit of humble dependence on the Father. Remember Solomons request

Proverbs 30:8 (ESV)

8 … give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me…

Proverbs 30:9 ESV

9 lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.

In other words, Lord, give me just enough to satisfy my hunger so that I will never forget where my help comes from, the Maker of Heaven and earth. But your Father heaven, in my experience, does not simply provide. He often lavishes his provision on his children. Why? Because He is a good Father.

Your Father in heaven is a good Father. He's not just a provider; He is the ultimate provider. He cares for the needs of His children, ensuring that they are met. Jesus speaks to the goodness of your Father in heaven and prayer in Matthew 7:8-11

Matthew 7:8–11 ESV

8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Your Father in heaven hears your prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread,” and he desires to give you good things. God, things do not refer to fast cars and fat bank accounts. It means to take care of your needs first and foremost. But, by experience, I know God often gives so much more. I don’t merely eat a piece of bread and drink a cup of water, though that would be enough. Way more times than not, God lavishes good food on my family. Even when we were dirt, eating food from food banks and day-old Panera bread, God gave more than just basic food. It was good and pleasurable. It satisfied us. God has proven himself to be a good Father who provides for your needs. But we do not always acknowledge him for it.

Acknowledging God is our good father who provides for us is a hard pill for many Westerners to swallow. Many Americans, even Christian Americans, approach God with the same heart as Jimmy Stewart did in Shenandoah. We may say thank you, Lord, for the meal. But our hearts sternly believe we plowed the ground, planted the seed, pulled the weeds, harvested the wheat, ground the flour, and baked the bread. There can be a lack of humility and gratitude in our prayers. Maybe it's because we don’t believe every good gift comes down from the Father. Or perhaps we do not really believe God is a good father. Somewhere in our prayers, it is unbelief if we are not praying with humble dependency and gratitude.

Many of us, like Jimmy Stewart’s character, may not fully understand how God answers our prayer for daily bread. It's not a prayer where we ask and then expect God to drop it on our table while we do nothing. Work is a means of grace that God gives us so he can provide for us. Even when God rained mana down from heaven onto a field for Israel, they still had to go pick it up and prepare it. God ensured the mana was there, and he gave them the health and ability to harvest the mana. But he required them to work. Charles Spurgeon explains it like this,

God sends every bird its food, but he does not throw it into the nest: he gives us our daily bread, but it is through our own labour John Ploughman’s Talk, Page 143

Charles Spurgeon

Jimmy Stewarts character should’ve had a heart of gratitude for God’s provision. He should’ve prayed,

“Thank you Lord for providing the tools, the health, the seed, and the weather to plow the ground, plant the seed, pull the weeds, harvest the wheat, ground the flour, and bake the bread. Thank you, Lord, for answering our prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread.”

What wonderful grace God bestows on his people who pray to him. Daily grace accompanies the daily mercies that are new every morning. And daily grace, says John Piper,

Daily grace is to the heart what daily bread is to the body.

John Piper

There is one more thing to consider about praying,“Give us this day our daily bread” with a humble and thankful heart. When we ask God for “our daily bread,” says Ian Campbell, we acknowledge that all our material possessions are his to give and his to withhold.

A few weeks ago, we discussed the importance of giving to the poor and emphasized that true piety involves giving with a commitment to advancing God's kingdom and making all of our possessions available for His purpose. We also talked about joyfully promoting the kingdom of God by emphasizing the significance of Jesus in the church, community, and home, and acknowledging that all our possessions ultimately belong to Him. In the fourth petition of the Lord's prayer, we pray with the same commitment, asking God to provide for our needs from His abundance. As recipients, we are also prepared to give away what the Lord has blessed us with or to have a contented heart when He chooses not to give something to us. We pray with the same heart as Job,

Job 1:21 ESV

21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Because your Father is a Good Father who is able to provide, pray for your needs to be met with humility and gratitude.

Because your Father forgives sins, pray for your sins to be forgiven and be generous with your forgiveness. (Matthew 6:12; 14-15)

Jesus moves from our need for physical bread to our need for spiritual bread. Just as God provided mana from heaven to bring life to Israel, he sent the bread of life to brings life to His elect. John MacArthur once wisely commented,

Immeasurably more important than our need for daily bread is our need for continual forgiveness of sin.

John F. MacArthur

In the Lord’s petition to ask for forgiveness of our debts. The word debt is a metaphor for sin. Sin is a debt owed to God. You must ask for forgiveness for sins you have committed against God, both sins of omission and commission. We have an obligation to obey God, and when we fail to do what we should, we owe God a debt and need to have that debt cancelled since we cannot repay it.

There are two issues that concern me with this text. What kind of forgiveness are we to ask for? Is it restorative forgiveness or salvific forgiveness? The second question is, is forgiveness a reward that merits my salvation? The reason I ask is because verse 14-15 seem to imply it.

Matthew 6:14–15 ESV

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

What does Jesus mean if I forgive then I will be forgiven. Let’s deal with that one first.

The Bible is very clear that the salvation God offers sinners is not merit based. That is, none of your deeds are capable of satisfying God’s justice and earning his favor. Paul is clear

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Jesus seems to suggest that forgiveness must be earned through work. How do we resolve this tension?

There are various types of conditional statements. This falls under the category of a third-class conditional statement. In this case, the "then" does not always assume the fulfillment of the "if." Therefore, the grammar indicates that forgiveness is not a reward based on merit but rather something else is being conveyed.

Forgiving others is not a means to obtain God’s forgiveness; rather, it stems from having already received forgiveness ourselves. Those who have been forgiven will naturally extend forgiveness to others, demonstrating that the grace of God is at work within the forgiving person. Therefore, it's more about providing evidence of belonging in the kingdom of God rather than about merit.

Those who live a righteous life in the kingdom of God are a forgiving people. We comprehend the significance of God’s forgiveness of our unpayable eternal debt in our earthly and eternal lives. Consequently, we genuinely and generously offer forgiveness to those who have wronged us.

Consider this example: envision a teenage girl who was deeply wounded by her best friend's betrayal. She struggled to forgive until she grasped the profound depth of God's forgiveness for her own mistakes. This realization was a catalyst for a profound transformation in her heart, enabling her to extend forgiveness to her friend.

Therefore, the forgiveness Jesus speaks of is not salvific forgiveness, which is necessary for salvation from God’s condemnation. Jesus is addressing his disciples – people who are already in God’s kingdom, Christians, and inviting them to partake in this journey of forgiveness.

The kind of forgiveness Jesus encourages us to pray for is restorative. The biblical story of the prodigal son is a perfect illustration. Despite the prodigal son's grave sin against his father, he never ceased to be a son. The father, in his infinite patience and love, waited for his son to repent and return to him. When the son did turn back to his father, he was not met with judgment and condemnation, but rather reconciliation and restoration.

Similarly, when you sin against the Father, you must, like the prodigal son, turn to your Father and pray, “Forgive me of my sin.” The Bible says

1 John 1:9 ESV

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Forgiveness is a daily necessity that reconciles you with the Father and repairs the breach in your relationship with Him. Jesus expects you to pray regularly about this, addressing your daily sins. It's crucial to remember that it's not just major sins that break your fellowship with the Lord; all sins are offensive to God. Reflect on how your thoughts stray from purity, the unkind words spoken to your family, and how you've treated others. Have you loved your neighbor as yourself? Do you love the Lord your God with all your mind, heart, soul, and strength?

Some of you may wonder, “Will God keep forgiving my besetting sin? Yes. Of course, he will forgive. One more reason why Jesus made this petition in his daily prayer. Daniel Doriani is helpful when he says

“The question “Will God forgive again?” is sensible, but it underestimates the gospel. God’s grace is greater than our sin. The gospel goes to sinners, to the poor in spirit. We rest in God’s love, not our performance. The Lord is pleased when we obey, yet he loves and forgives, whether we obey or not.” Daniel Doriani

Thank God you have Jesus’s atonement to secure your forgiveness and continuously provide access to the Father to confess your sin, repent, and draw on his mercy and grace to live a more faithful life. Thank God that he is always waiting for you to turn toward him. Like the prodigal, when you ask for forgiveness, he runs toward you, clothes you with mercy and grace, and generously grants you forgiveness. Knowing that about God, compels true believers to be generous with their forgiveness with others.

Because your Father forgives sins, pray for your sins to be forgiven and be generous with your forgiveness toward others.

Because your Father is your Deliverer, pray for protection from temptation and sin. (Matthew 6:13)

When Stacy and I were young parents, we were not aware of the amount of dangers our house posed to our new born Naomi. It was not until she could walk did I realize as her daddy, I need to be proactive putting up safeguards around the home. I had to secure floor cabinets, cover electrical outlets, and use baby gates to curb her curiosity. Similarly, Jesus tells us to pray to the Father to protect us from sin and temptation. Prayer is a spiritual safeguard from the spiritual dangers the flesh, the world, and Satan use to devour our faith.

Jesus says,

Matthew 6:13 ESV

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Once again, on the surface it looks like Jesus implies that the Father leads his people into temptation. As if it is the Father who is tempting you to sin. James makes it clear to us that the Father does not tempt anyone to sin.

James 1:13 ESV

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.

They key to understanding Matthew 6:13 is knowing what the word temptation means. The greek word can have two meanings. One meaning is to be tempted to sin. The other meaning is to be tested. The context helps you decided which meaning is used. In this context, it means tested. In other words, it is a request to be kept from trial so difficult or severe that the disciple would fail. Or as John MacArthur puts it

The implication of this part of the prayer seems to be: “Lord, don’t ever lead us into a trial that will present such a temptation that we will not be able to resist it.”

John F. MacArthur

Jesus is saying pray that you will never be tested. Testing is part of your sanctification and growth. Consider how God tested Abraham. The test was not meant to make Abraham fail or to fall into sinful unbelief. The test was meant to confront him with a situation out of which he merged stronger and more faithful than he was before he climbed the mountain.

Jesus’ ministry was molded by temptation. After his anointing for ministry, he was driven into the wilderness to be tested/tempted by the evil. Jesus did what the first Adam could not do. He overcame to the evil one by resisting temptation. He crossed back over the Jordan river with the right to announce the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe. But temptation did not stop for Jesus in the wilderness. It was part of his life and ministry on earth. Jesus dealt with temptation in the same way he is telling you to deal with it. Pray to your father, ‘Lead me not into to a temptation so powerful it will cause me to fall away.

And so it is with you, brothers and sisters. Testing is a reality that you must embrace in this life. But take courage, Jesus says to pray that God will not lead you to a test that will cause you to fall away.

In the midst of spiritual warfare, Martin Luther once said, 'When the devil knocks at the door of my heart, I send Jesus to answer it.' This reminds us that prayer and reliance on God's power are our greatest weapons against the evil one.

In conclusion, Jesus teaches us to properly pray to the Father. We are not to just repeat the prayer verbatim as if it is a magical chant or spell. You are to use it as a model to pray. The model help you keep your prayers God-centered and it orders your desires appropriately. When I pray this prayer over my wife and children, or over my church, I pray something life this:

My Father,

I come to you as your son, whom you’ve redeemed and adopted by the blood of Jesus Christ my Lord. I am so thankful to approach your throne through His righteousness so I can receive grace and mercy for my time of need.

You are the soverign Lord, King of Kings, the Alpha and Omega. There is no God like you. You are all wise, all knowing, all powerful, and all present. No one can thwart your plans. Your throne is in the heavens and you do as you please.

My soverign Father, make your name holy in my heart, and in the heart of my wife and children. Make it holy in my church. Give us such reverence for your name that sin in every fashion will become repulsive to us, and we will only find true happiness in your holiness. Help us, Lord, to live faithful lives that make much of your holy name.

Lord, advance your kingdom in the church, community and home. Make Jesus rule over every thought, word, and deed that comes from my lips, my family, and FBCL. Advance your kingdom among the lost in Litchfield. Draw families to our school so we can joyfully advance the kingdom of God in the hearts of mothers, fathers, the children, and all who come to our school. Advance your kingdom in our counseling ministry to stop the cycles of poverty, break the chains of addiction, unite the broken families, and bring the light if the gospel to the unchurched.

Lord, grant is single minded, heart united loyal loving hearts that eagerly and joyfully obey your will, regardless of the consequences, to the ends of the earth. My our love for Jesus and our neighbor motivate our eager and joyful obedience to the plans and the will you have for us.

You are our good Father, and we trust you to be our provider. Please, Father, provide for us our daily bread. Give us enough to be satisfied, but never more than enough to think this world is paradise. Please provide the resources we need to fix the roof at the church and remodel the office. Please provide the funds for scholarships for our LCS students. Please grant us like minded teachers and volunteers to carry the burden of being instruments of grace in education. Give us laborers to reap the harvest of the lost whom you are drawing to the kingdom. Equip our biblical counseling ministry to people who love deep discipleship. Heal the sick. Strengthen the weak. Encourage the downcast. Give peace to the anxious.

Father, forgive us of our sins. Forgive us for breaking fellowship with you through our cold unbelief, wandering thoughts, insensitive words, and unfaithful works. Cleanse us of this unrighteousness and help us to walk in a manner worthy of the gospel.

Lord, please protect us from the enemy who is waiting to devour our faith. Lead us not into a trial that could os overwhelm us that we fall away, but strengthen us to be faithful to you. Hold us fast, Lord, with your love and faithfulness. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever and ever, Amen.

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