Give Us This Day

There are two noteworthy words in the prayer Jesus taught, especially in this line: “this day” and “daily bread” (or “enough for today”). Why did Jesus use these two words? Doesn’t that sound like a limitation regarding material blessing? If we read the phrase with a greedy mindset, we might conclude that God does not want to bless us fully. Yet every word Jesus used in this prayer carries profound truth beyond mere provision of material needs or blessings.

In the King James Version, this line is written, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Notice the phrase “this day.” Why didn’t Jesus say “this week,” “this month,” “this year,” or even “for our lifetime”? The use of “this day” is meant to teach us to live in daily dependence on God. This is the kind of relationship that existed before humanity fell into sin. Adam and Eve lived dependent on God and were meant to continue in that dependence forever. Adam and Eve could never be separated from the Lord God, the Source of all blessing. Implicitly here, God desires continual intimacy with humanity — a relationship that indicates humans cannot be apart from God even for a single day. Humans are dependent on God because that is God’s agenda: that people live in intimacy with Him.

On their journey to the Promised Land, God provided manna to the Israelites. When the people gathered the manna, Moses told them, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath; there will be none” (Exodus 16:25–26). It is no coincidence that this principle of dependence already appears when Israel left Egypt. In Exodus 16:14–26, when God provided manna in the wilderness, He instructed His people to gather enough manna for one day, except before the Sabbath. 

By gathering manna each day, God wanted to teach Israel to relate to Him continually — day by day. Each day the Israelites had to look up to heaven and witness the manna God had provided. Each day they saw the hand of the Generous Lord bringing down provision. God desires that we come to Him daily because He continually provides fresh blessings for us.

Lamentations 3:22–23 says, “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!” This verse explains that God gives blessings that are renewed every morning. The Hebrew word for “new” here is חָדָשׁ (chadash), meaning “something new” and also “something fresh.” God wants to give His children fresh blessings each day, not stale provision. There is an extraordinary purpose behind the daily material provision God sends. Behind the daily manna, God wants to draw His children to Himself. When His children come to Him, intimacy is formed. Where intimacy exists, spiritual blessings flow from Him.

So, there is something more important behind the daily material blessings God gives. By living in dependence and intimacy with God, people receive not only physical food or provision but, more importantly, spiritual blessings that mature and complete them.