Petition – Luke 11:1-4
Jesus teaches us to pray; “Give us each day our daily bread”. This instruction to petition our needs reminds us that our natural longings for financial security, for a child, for healing, for bread are not written off as evil, selfish, embarrassing, or shameful. Rather, these desires are welcomed by God. And as we bring them to God, we trust him to order them, to open the eyes of our heart that we might see him.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me[a] anything in my name, I will do it.” – John 14:12-14
“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” –John 15:7
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”–John 15:16
“In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” – John 16:23-24
Why is it that Jesus says ask for anything in my name and you will receive it but I don’t always receive it? This tension sits at the very core of why many of us do not pray for what we need.
If God disappointed me once, will he not disappoint me again?
If God didn’t answer my prayers before, why ask?
If God’s ways are higher than my ways, what is the point in praying for what I need? Does he even care?
I think many of us have simply stopped petitioning for our daily bread as Jesus instructs in the Lord’s prayer. But as we will see today, petitioning is still a worthwhile task.
This prayer becomes both a prayer we recite and a guideline or pattern for our prayers. It is where we go when we wonder, Jesus how do we pray?
The Lord’s prayer also reveals that prayer is both communion and collaboration with God. Oftentimes we view prayer as simply communication with God. But it is so much more than that. This prayer reveals that we commune with God the father. We take time to simply remember he is a father and then we collaborate with him. And thus, as Alex explained last week, we are not merely passive stage props in a prewritten cosmic drama. We are creative partners with God in the writing, directing, design, and action that occurs on the stage of history.
And finally, this prayer reminds us that the essential foundation of Christian prayer is that God is love and he likes us.
PETITIONING FOR THE KINGDOM
This prayer is not the only place in which we see bread or food as a central component of Jesus’ life.
“His parties weren’t simply a matter of cracking open another bottle for the sake of it; the prayer to the Father for daily bread was part of his wider and deeper agenda.” – N.T. Wright
At the very heart of this demonstration-turned-teaching sits a foundational biblical symbol of the kingdom that can be traced all the way back to the Old Testament, to the Israelite people.
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, my cup overflows.” – Psalm 23:5
“On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines.
And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud over all people; he will swallow up death forever.
He will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth.” – Isaiah 25:6-8
“Give us each day our daily bread” reminds us of a kingdom in which every day we will have daily bread and plenty of it.
“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33
Part of our petition for personal needs is Jesus to come and make this world right. May the party, may the feast continue.
PETITIONING FOR OURSELVES
However, the verse “give us each day our daily bread” is not just about petitions for God’s soon and coming kingdom, it is also about the right now.
How wonderful it is that God does not look down on our needs, that he doesn’t sit up in the clouds on a throne and sneer at our pathetic, needy bodies. He cares.
Issue 1: We are too proud and independent.
Issue 2: We worry in God’s direction.
Issue 3: We neglect to turn outward.
SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
And yet, I still think there is hope for us. Jesus obviously thought there was and gave us a tool to help. So when we struggle with a petition, first let’s start with Jesus’ pattern:
Let’s begin with contemplative prayer.
Then begin interceding for those around you.
Petition for your daily bread.
