Climbing up in her father’s lap, little Nancy asked, “Daddy, did God die?”

Stunned, he responded quickly, “No, of course not! Why on earth would you ask?”

“Well,” she replied timidly, “you never seem to talk to Him anymore and I was just wondering.”

We find in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke two passages of Scripture that are called “The Lord’s Prayer.” Both of them contain a phrase stating that we are to go to God each day for our “daily bread” – our nourishment.

Praying for our bread each day means that we are acknowledging Him not only as the Creator, but as our Sustainer and Provider. It is important for us who acknowledge Him as our Lord to also recognize that He alone is the One who meets our every need.

When we allow “gaps” in our prayer life we begin to think that we are self-sufficient and can go through life without Him. But it is a misconception to think that we can provide for any of our needs on our own. We must always remember that every heartbeat, every breath, every movement, every sensation is a gift from God. Without His grace and goodness we would be without everything that we have.

When we pause, ask for and give thanks for our daily bread, let’s also remember that He gives so much more than the bread we eat. Everything is from “above.”

Prayer: Thank You, Father, for being so generous in meeting all of our needs. May we always be aware of Your grace, mercy, love and presence in our lives. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Matthew 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.

A girl asked, “Why did you break up with Joe?”

“Because,” answered her friend, “my feelings toward him aren’t the same.”

“Are you returning the ring?” the girl continued.

“Oh, no!” she answered. “My feelings toward the ring haven’t changed one bit.”

As with that friend, so with some followers of our Lord. They’re more interested in the gifts than the Giver.

But not the Psalmist. He wanted the Shepherd, and in having Him he had His supplies.

In Him lies strength for our weakness, hope for our despair, healing for our sickness, and power for our temptations.

The Bible says, “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.”

Is He your Shepherd?

Prayer: Father, we thank Thee that Thou art always guiding us in the ways Thou wouldst have us to go: in Christ. Amen.

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