Answer. “GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;” that is, be pleased to provide us with all things necessary for the body, that we may thereby acknowledge thee to be the only fountain of all good, and that neither our care nor industry, nor even thy gifts, can profit us without thy blessing, and therefore that we may withdraw our trust from all creatures, and place it alone in thee.
Exposition
This petition respecting our daily bread, it would seem should have been placed after the petition in which we pray for the forgiveness of our sins, inasmuch as such benefits as are most important should be prayed for first, whilst those which are less important should be sought last. But Christ having regard to our infirmities, placed this fourth petition respecting our daily bread, as it were in the middle of the prayer which he prescribed, that we might both commence and end our prayers with petitions for spiritual blessings as being most important; and that the obtaining and receiving of temporal benefits might confirm in us more and more a confidence of obtaining spiritual blessings.
In this fourth petition we are taught to pray for temporal blessings, concerning which we must enquire.
I. Why temporal blessings should be prayed for:
II. In what manner they are to be sought:
III. Why Christ comprehends temporal blessings under the term BREAD:
IV. Why he calls it OUR bread:
V. Why he calls it DAILY BREAD:
VI. Why it should be given DAILY:
VII. Whether it is lawful for us to pray for riches:
VIII. Whether it is lawful to lay up any thing for the time to come.
I. Why Temporal Blessings Should Be Prayed For
We should desire and pray for temporal blessings from God no less than such as are spiritual:
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On account of the command of God, which of itself should be sufficient, even though we could assign no other reason. We have as a warrant for asking temporal blessings from God both a general and special command. Christ gives a general command when he says, “Ask and it shall be given you.” (Matt. 7:7.) We have also a special command uttered by Christ when he prescribed unto us this form of prayer, saying, “After this maimer therefore pray ye;” in which he also commands us to ask bread, or temporal blessings from God. When Christ, therefore, commands us to take no thought in regard to what we shall eat, and says that all these things shall be added unto us, he does not design to forbid us to ask of God our daily bread, but condemns distrust, or a want of confidence in God. (Matt. 5:31, 33.)
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On account of the divine promise. God has promised to give us all things necessary for our life, and has promised them in order that we might desire and pray for them, and that we might have a firm confidence that we shall obtain things necessary for us, which confidence is spiritual and not carnal. “Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” (Matt. 6:32.)
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On account of the glory of God. This petition for temporal blessings is an acknowledgment and profession of the providence of God, especially towards the church. God desires that this praise should be given to him, inasmuch as he is the source of all good things, and that we may not suppose these things to come by mere chance.
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On account of our comfort; that they may be expressions of God’s good-will towards us, since good gifts—such as contribute to salvation, are promised and conferred only upon the children of God. Hence when these gifts are conferred upon us, we should comfort ourselves by believing that we are of the number of those to whom God has promised to grant these things.
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That the desire and expectation of these blessings may be an exercise of our confidence and hope; for we cannot promise to ourselves temporal blessings, unless we are assured of spiritual blessings, and of God’s good will towards us; neither can we desire and pray for temporal blessings from God, unless we are persuaded that we are in favor with him.
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On account of our necessity, that we may be able to do the will of God on earth. This we cannot do without daily bread. “The dead praise not the Lord.” (Ps. 115:17.)
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That the desire of these things may be a confirmation to us, and a profession before the world, that it is God who confers upon us even the smallest gifts.
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For this comfort, that we may know that the church shall always be preserved on earth, since God always hears our prayers, and will constantly grant unto us our daily bread according to his promise.