Eld Chew Chong Kiat

Christ taught us to pray only to God, who is our Father in heaven, for ourselves and each other, with confidence and holy fear.

The first petition, “Hallowed be Thy Name”, means our prayers must glorify God in all we ask, for ourselves and others.

In the second petition, “Thy kingdom come”, we pray for the return of Christ to judge this world of sin and every sinner. This includes the destruction of the kingdom of darkness.

In the third petition, “Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven”, we pray that just as God’s will is always done in heaven, may it be done on earth in the lives of God's obedient children.

Now in the fourth petition, “Give us this day our daily bread” we pray that God will give us what we need to live daily so that our faith will not be hurt by having too much or not enough and we do not trust Him.

Let us learn the following lessons:

1. Whole dependence (“Give us”). We acknowledge in this petition that our sustenance is wholly from God. All that we have and all that we are come from Him. Without Him, we have nothing. He is the Source and Fountain from Whom all blessings flow. We should not assume that He is obliged to provide because He is our Creator. But we are to make our requests to Him, that when we receive them our joy may be full (John 16:24). God gives good things to them that ask. (Matthew 7:7-11) God’s will is that through this, we abide in Him and maintain our relationship with Him as a branch to the Vine. Whatever we receive is not because of our hard work but because of God’s gift. That is why we must never be motivated by mammon but by God’s love.
   
   God is good, He faithfully and wisely gives all the things that are needful. “…for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” (Matthew 6:32b). Bread signifies all that sustains us. It goes beyond food to raiment, health, strength and all that is needful to maintain our physical body. It also includes all things spiritual to sustain us in good spiritual health like wisdom, grace and strength to endure all afflictions and temptations.
   
   
2. Daily Dependence (“this day” or “day by day”). We are to ask for daily bread, not weekly or monthly bread. On a daily basis, we are to request from Him things that we need. God wants us to lean on Him moment by moment and never to depart from Him for a moment. The phrase “this day” implies constancy and continuity, not “on and off” or sporadically. We need to abide in Him always, for without Him, we cannot face any evil in life. Matthew 6:34 says “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [is] the evil thereof.” We must therefore trust in Him for grace for each day, and abide in Him, for without Him we can neither face the foes of our soul nor do anything profitable.
   
   God chose to give daily, although He is able to supply a lifetime supply at any time. Let us not be anxious for tomorrow. Remember how God did not fail to provide daily manna for the few millions of pilgrims wandering in the wilderness. The daily supply only ended when they entered the Promised Land that flowed with milk and honey. Likewise for us, our faithful God will provide what we need to live and glorify Him, till we arrive home in heaven. A life of faith must be lived one day at a time.
   
   Let us never be lazy, but be diligent in whatsoever our hands find to do (Ecclesiastes 9:10). The wandering Jews had to collect their daily portion and prepare their own meals. That is the way that we should eat our daily meals. God’s will is that if any man does not work, let him not eat. (2Thessalonians 3:10) The sleep of a labouring man is sweet. (Ecclesiastes 5:12)
   
   
3. Meet Dependence. God knows what is best for each of us and provides what is needed; not too much such that we will deny God and say, “Who is the LORD?”; or too little that we should steal and take God’s name in vain (Proverbs 30:9). In the words of the shorter catechism, we pray for a “competent portion of the good things of this life, and enjoy His blessings with them.”
   
   It is a sin to be discontented with such things as we have (Hebrew 13:5). That would be to doubt God’s wisdom or ability to provide. God is not short of supply. Too much will spoil us, and too little may tempt us beyond what we are able to bear; God is faithful (1Corinthians 10:13) and wise. Let us learn to be content in God our wonderful Shepherd in whatever state we are, whether abounding or in abasement.
   
   Let us never murmur or complain about any circumstance in life. But let us enjoy God in His abundant care and love for us. He has never left us to ourselves. Let us, like Job, bless God even when everything is taken from us. God has not deserted and will not desert His own whom He redeemed at such a great price, even through His own Son.

Let us pray the fourth petition “Give us this day our daily bread” with the understanding that we are to daily and be wholly dependent on God, that He will provide what is meet for us in this life so that we may enjoy His blessings with them. Amen.