The Lord’s Prayer, I believe, is the most beautiful and practical template. Surely,no coincidence. Every line can mean so much of what is so relevant to each one of us, each day - a prayer to a prayer and we are allowed to be different! I used to worry about praying for daily bread when I had so much but can we deny that to someone whose daily existence is about keeping his family alive over the next few days or months? It could also be whatever we need to get through the trials of a busy day ahead or for some, simply to get through the next day.
A real blessing!

Signs of the Kingdom show where our poorest brothers & sisters are also assured of their daily bread. The ‘Bread for Life’project provides tons of food for the most vulnerable families in outer neglected areas of Malawi… Through this project ‘the gospel is being preached as well as demonstrated by giving God’s provision of daily bread.‘This speaks of a verse of the hymn (‘There’s a Spirit in the air, calling people everywhere’):

When believers break the bread,
when a hungry child is fed:
praise the love that Christ revealed,
living, working in our world.

Our Love & care = Kingdom signs

We need to pray every day in order to stay close to God.  We need His help in so many things, but it is so easy to lapse and allow our selfish traits to separate us from God’s love.

To call God my Father means to me the presence of a loving parent, ‘hallowed’ reminds me of the authority aspect that I often forget.
My daily bread I like to know in advance. Maybe I’m trying to get it ordering spring clothes for myself, a parcel arrived today, nothing fits - I’m constantly distracting myself from the real challenge in my life.

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

Does ‘give us each day our daily bread’ bear reference to this verse from John’s gospel?  Is it a daily reminder that Jesus is our Lord and Saviour? and not perhaps solely a plea to the Father to provide?

Anthony de Mello wrote in his book The Song of the Bird a lovely story called We are three, you are three. It speaks loudly to me, just reading today’s verse. If you can find a copy of the book, I hope you will enjoy this and the other stories in it, for he helps free the Western dualist mind from the shackles it so often has.

“Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth”.  An immense Godward prayer.
“Give us today our daily bread”.  A limited, self-centred prayer?  I don’t know.
“Bread” has many meanings, and, yes, of course we need to eat.  But does God need to be asked to do what he is already doing, and has been doing every day of our lives?
Jesus says “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” (John 4:34).  Perhaps we are also praying “Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth…so in us, in our daily bread.  God, give us today’s tasks so that today we may do thy will.”

There is a real problem of saying the Lord’s prayer and not meaning it (in part in this verse)and just repeating a well known Bible piece. Do I really mean your kingdom come, now, when I have unsaved children and grandchildren, or is it that by saying your kingdom come it will come for me and my time on earth will be up or that Jesus will return. I thank Him that it is in His hands and not mine. I am grateful every morning for a new morning untouched and untainted.

Sometimes we recite this wonderful prayer in such a rush that the meaning of each phrase doesn’t sink in. Let’s take out time to assimilate the meaning of each petition in this prayer and contemplate what out part may be in seeing them actualizd in our world, in our lives , our work , our marriages and relationships , our giving . The list goes on. I find it very useful to take time to specify individually to God in what areas I’d like to see His name hallowed/His kingdom comein my life. This opens avenues for deeper worship and committment

When I pray “your Kingdom come”, do I really mean it?  When I’m breezing through life, happy and carefree, am I really committed to the end of this life and the beginning of His Kingdom on earth?  Or is my prayer “your Kingdom come when I’m ready for it”?  This goes to the heart of loving God before all earthly things.  Would I be happy for God’s Kingdom to come on earth today, before all my own plans comes to fruition?  Lord God, focus my life on you, so that I may let go of my own plans and be at peace with yours.  Amen.

Father be for us
Father be with us
Father be in us
Father work through us
To your praise and glory
Now and for ever
Amen

When you think about contemporary ‘western’ society you realize what really matters. May God give us clarity of purpose in our lives, and the resilience to use the gifts he has given us, wherever we may be, in His name.

In this prayer Jesus gives us the three basis for human life: acknowledging the reality and importance of the spiritual; a just and peaceful society in which to live; and enough of the material things of life to be comfortable. If only we could be content to ask for and receive these, and nothing more.