What do we pray for in the fourth petition of the Lord's Prayer?
In the fourth petition, which is, "Give us today our daily bread" (Matt. 6:11), we pray that of God's free gift, we may receive a competent portion of the good things of this life and enjoy his blessing with them. Proverbs 30:7-9 states,
Two things I ask of You; don't deny them to me before I die: Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty not wealth; feed me with the food I need. Otherwise, I might have too much and deny You, saying, "Who is the LORD?" or I might have nothing and steal, profaning the name of my God.
Paul reminded Timothy with these words, "But godliness with contentment is a great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. But if we have food and clothing we will be content with these" (1 Tim 6:6-8). He also said, "For everything created by God is good, and nothing should be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, since it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer" (1 Tim. 4:4-5).
Summary
The fourth petition is asking for the necessities in life: our food, clothing, and the like. But it is also a commitment to contentment. It is asking God to provide our needs, and make us glad in their provision. We are not only asking for what we need, we are asking to be satisfied with what we get. Next week, we tackle the question, "What do we pray for in the fifth petition of the Lord's Prayer?"
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