Give us today the food we need

Matthew 6:11, NLT

I used to have a friend that would call me every few weeks.  We would be on the phone for hours…and I would never say a word!  My friend would tell me all about her job, complain about her life, share about her latest trip…but she would never ask me how I was, what was going on in my life, or even give me a chance to join the conversation.  I would often end the phone call exhausted and sad that I was only an ear to listen and not a friend to invest in. 

As I thought about that season in my life it made me wonder if God feels that way sometimes with my prayers?  (A one-way conversation filled with anxiety, fear, angst, and a laundry list of requests.)  Are my conversations with God an investment in my relationship or an outlet for my ramblings? 

I love this slow journey we are taking through the Lord’s Prayer.  It has helped me be intentional about how I approach God in prayer.  Focusing my prayers first on God: God’s goodness, God’s kingdom, and God’s will.  Slowing me down and helping me build my prayers upon the foundation of my relationship with God.

We are at the halfway point of the Lord’s Prayer this week, as we shift to the human-focused portion of the prayer.  Prayer that begins with a petition –   Give us today the food we need. Our human needs.  Plural…not mine alone but ours as a collective.  Continual…daily provision. 

Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:7, NLT

What a great reminder that prayer is to be repeated, daily.  It is not one and done.  If we have a request we are to continually ask, lifting it up to God.  God wants to hear our requests, to have a conversation with us, to have a relationship with us that is more than an occasional laundry list of needs.  Prayer is more about our relationship with God than what God can do for us!

Keep praying.  Keep asking.  Keep seeking.  Keep knocking.

Blessings,
Pastor Jenni

Our Prayer Experiment: Daily pray the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). 
Speak it out loud, slowly, deliberately and from the heart.

This week’s Prayer Experiment:  Focus your prayers on this phrase: “Give us today our daily bread.”  Reflect: How does God provide for your daily needs? What would it look like to completely trust in God’s provision? Practice: Spend some time each day asking God for the things that rest heavy on your heart.  Maybe write them down, pray over them, take notice when those heartfelt requests are answered.