Jesus’ model prayer in Matthew 6 included a short and often misunderstood principle. In verse 11, He said, “Give us this day our daily bread.”

In our Western culture, praying for daily bread may seem unnecessary. However, the Lord is teaching us how to pray — not simply what to pray. This principle is about more than just bread. It is about daily dependence on Christ for our most basic needs. John R.W. Stott has written, “It is an expression of ultimate dependence on God, who normally uses human means of production and distribution through which to fulfill his purposes. Moreover, it seems that Jesus wanted his followers to be conscious of a day-to-day dependence.”

James M. Boice said, “It means that we are not to take thought for tomorrow, but to ask God only for what we need for today.” He goes on to say, “In our society, part of this day’s ration consists of the money to be laid aside for the next.” His point is that it is not sinful or wrong to plan for retirement, have insurance, savings, etc. Our faith rests in God and His ability to provide for us through the means He has chosen — even our own ability to work, create revenue, develop healthy lifestyles, pray, etc.

The word “daily” rarely appears in Greek. D.A. Carson noted, “It is found with 100 percent certainty only in this prayer.” It is an adjective that can be understood as “the day that is coming.” Praying like this in the morning would be pointing to the day before us, but praying this way in the evening would be directed toward the next day. As John MacArthur points out, “It is a prayer for the immediate and not for the distant future.”

Laborers were commonly paid for their work at the end of each working day. A day’s pay would buy little more than a day’s worth of food for the family. In the context of Jesus’ day, the term “daily bread” would have been a literal and easily understood concept.

Another emphasis of “give us this day our daily bread” is, by implication, on all the needs of life. We are taught to ask God for our daily ration of life’s necessities. Why? It keeps our focus on God and off what we may think we have. If we allow ourselves to depend only on what we have or trust only in our abilities, we can easily lose focus on God. He is the provider, and He invites us to pray for our basic needs consistently day in and day out.

Craig Blomberg has written, “The affluent westerner more likely plans and prays for ‘annual bread,’ except in time of extreme crisis.”

Jesus is teaching us to live with a healthy dependence on Him every day. He is inviting us to pray regularly, daily, even hourly. When a Christian lives with such a dependence on God, he or she will obey Him by petitioning Him for the necessities of life. In turn, a believer will consistently be reminded of his or her need of Christ above all other needs. That will result in believers who walk — a lifestyle — by faith and not by sight. As Hebrews 11:6 reminds us, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him.”

“Give us this day our daily bread” is a brief yet simple pattern to use in our prayers. It is about “us,” not just me. It asks God to “give” and, as such, recognizes our need. It is daily — implying God’s provision is waiting for us on a consistent basis and delivered to us through our persistent dependency on Him.