This portion of Christ's teaching on prayer to His disciples is covered elsewhere on this site, but it is relevant here because of His use of the word "today."
He tells us to ask our Father to give us "today" our daily bread. Our prayers to the Father should always be present, concerned with now. What do we need right now in order to do His Will? As the Lord elsewhere reveals, we live not only on physical bread alone, but upon every spoken word from the Father (Matthew 4:4). Therefore, Christ recognizes that there is a daily need for bread from the Father, and we should thus ask Him for it "today."
The Word of Yahweh never perishes, but accomplishes what it has been sent to perform (Jeremiah 1:12)(Ezekiel 12:28). If we compare scripture with scripture, Jesus compares Himself to the Manna sent by God in the Old Covenant (John 6:29-35). He reveals that He is the True Bread sent by the Father out of heaven (John 6:47-51). In those days, the manna had to be used each day, and could not be kept over until the next day (Exodus 16:16-20). In the same way, spiritually, we must live upon the word of Yahweh He gives us each day—not trying to survive on words from the past, but continually coming to Him for what we need today.
If we take this one step further, and see "today" not as one of the literal physical days that we know on earth, but in light of the spiritual truth behind it, we recognize that we need direction from God in order to live this life in the Spirit. As our new life in Christ brings us out of darkness and the night of our old self and sins, into the light of God and the blessing of the day (Romans 13:12)(1 Thessalonians 5:4-6), so we need our very Life—Christ Himself—in order to live in that "day" that we call "Today."
We no longer depend upon the old bread of yesterday, that of the world and its cares and wisdom (Romans 6:6)(Ephesians 4:22)(Colossians 3:9), but we look for that which is here for us now—the Son of God. He is able to teach us how to walk, to guide us in our steps, to keep us from stumbling and falling, to open our eyes to what lies ahead.
Who are you who judge another's servant? To his own lord he stands or falls. Yes, he will be made to stand, for God has power to make him stand. (Romans 14:4)
We must receive from Him in this spiritual "today" in order to survive it, and we must receive it "daily." When we ask the Father that He would give us "today" our daily bread, we affirm that the Lord Jesus is our Bread, our Life, and that we must eat His flesh and drink His blood to have eternal life—we need Him freshly sent to us continually. For according as He is the Word of God (John 1:1-3), so Yahweh sends Him to bring life to our mortal bodies, to our life situations, to our midst as we gather together as the Assembly of God (Isaiah 55:10-11).
Christ also revealed that the HolySpirit would be the One Who would bring the things of Jesus to us once He (Jesus) returned to heaven.
But the Counselor, the HolySpirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you. (John 14:26)
Because the Lord's time on earth was limited, especially in His capacity as Christ and Teacher (about three years), He would have to depend upon His Spirit to continue His work. His disciples were not able to hear all He had to say, because they were still in their "old wineskins," unable to bear the new wine He had to give. It would have to wait until they were born again and filled to overflowing with His Spirit—then they would be able to receive all that He had to give.
12"I have yet many things to tell you, but you can't bear them now. 13However when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming. 14He will glorify me, for he will take from what is mine, and will declare it to you. 15All things whatever the Father has are mine; therefore I said that he takes{TR reads "will take" instead of "takes"} of mine, and will declare it to you. (John 16:12-15)
This directly relates to Jesus' teaching that we, as His Body, are to ask our Father for our daily bread. We need His spoken words, which are personified in the HolySpirit Himself, in order to live this "Today." The Spirit brings these words from the Father through His Son, the bread from heaven that we need daily in order to survive.
As with the rest of the Lord's teaching on prayer, it is a communal petitioning—we as the Body of Christ, the People of Yahweh, are asking of "our Father" for these things. We ask not just for our own selves, but for the good of the entire Assembly; this "today" in which we as individuals live, also holds the rest of our brothers and sisters in the Lord. We all are in this together.
Thus, as we ask the Father to give us daily bread, we ask Him not only for His Son, but for His Spirit—as they always act in unity, revealing Their desire for us as the People of God. The daily bread we will receive in this "Today" of new life in Them will show us how to act in unity as well, as the Assembly, the Body of Christ on earth.
Therefore, we must together ask the Father for Him to send what He already knows we need—we are confessing that we have the need and that we have the faith that He is able to supply it, as a good father could and would do for his children.
For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things. To him be the glory for ever! Amen. (Romans 11:36)
In this age called "Today" we have not been left without sustenance, but daily might receive words from Yahweh upon which to live—we must simply ask in faith!
As you read this site, you will hopefully come to know Yahweh more fully.
But all of this continuing knowledge is useless unless and until you come into union with Him. I use the word union because it is truly a marriage. It is that deep connection we all seek, for which we most often look in other people. However, the truth is that our hearts will only be fulfilled when we enter that union in fullness with the One Who made us.
This is the grace of God, that He has not stayed distant for us only to worship as Creator. But He has come unto us, even become one of us—in His Son, ChristJesus—in order to share an intimate union with us. He desires such closeness that it truly will envelope our entire life, transforming us into something new and wonderful.
You may have already entered this union with Him and only seek to know Him better through reading here. But if you have not, as you do read, let this Gospel sink into your heart as you read it now.
God loves you, and has cast your sins into the sea. He has sent His only Son as the Savior of the world—that includes you.
That Son, JesusChrist, was born as a man through a virgin who had given her life to Yahweh; He lived without sin, reflected the glory of His Father, God, in all His words and deeds, and was persecuted even unto death because of it.
His death upon a cross was the powerful explosion that separated you from your life of death. It remains for you, now, to enter into that death with Him. As you die to the one you are now, a person separated from God from your many sins, you will be born anew, with a nature predisposed to live rightly. This gift is free to you, with nothing you can do to earn it. It is the mercy of God to offer it to you, as He loves you so much! All you must do is receive it by trusting Him to have delivered you. Simply place your life in His hands and embrace the freedom that came through that death on the cross.
The Gospel is that Jesus did not remain dead, but rose again on the third day after His crucifixion! Death could not hold Him, as He was without sin. And so death will not be able to hold you, as you identify with Him fully through your trust in Him. Let go of yourself and confess Him as Lord of your life. The power of His death and resurrection will work in you all that your Creator has destined for you. You will truly enter a new life and experience that intimate union you have been seeking all of your life.
So ponder these words as you read here of this great God—Yahweh—and all that He has revealed to His creation. Let His Spirit testify to your heart that these words are true, that God is Love, and that He sent His Son so that you might receive the life that is unbound by time and space. As you feel that witness in your heart, simply believe and receive what He is offering to you, even now, and begin your new life as a child of God.
Please write to me and let me know when you take this step, as I will be your brother in Christ—we will be one in Him!
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14But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Christ it passes away. 15But to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. (2 Corinthians 3:14-15)
Scripture Quotes: World English Bible Translation.
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