Jesus’ Model Prayer - Part 5
●Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, (trespasses) as we forgive our debtors (those who trespass against us). ●And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. ●For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:11-15)
JESUS SAID IN MATTHEW 6:9-15, THAT AFTER WE HAVE PUT GOD FIRST, it is appropriate for us to pray for bread. BREAD is the centerpiece of human need the world over. The Apostle Paul said: And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. (1Timothy 6:6-8) Paul has stretched “need” beyond bread and has included clothing. Not a lot of clothing. The word: “raiment” appears to be singular; not a collection of outfits. Jesus focused on bread, satisfying the stomach. “Daily” means what it says. Many people don’t have bread two days in a row. And thousands have not had a piece of bread in several days.
I’VE THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT THIS. I would not wish the Great Depression on anyone, but I must tell you that it was a great teacher. A generous amount of learning enveloped those of us who went through that period. A sack of corn meal can be almost everything in your life if that is all that stands between you and hunger. My mother could make many things out of corn meal.
THE PICTURE ABOVE IS OF BARLEY LOAVES, much like those mentioned in the Bible. I have bought barley flour to experiment with it as a bread. It is edible but tough. Barley is ok for human food but mostly the poor are content to eat it. It is more suited for animals that can chew it well... not to be compared with wheat and other more delicate grains.
WHEN RUTH AND NAOMI CAME BACK TO ISRAEL OUT OF MOAB, it was during barley harvest. Naomi was excited that Ruth gleaned in the field of Boaz and came home with an apron full of barley grain. Bread! Food! For several years, I experimented with making bread from various kinds of grain; cooked and raw. You might say, “Oh! I wouldn’t do that!” You might. You might be tickled pink to get it. A little learning ahead of time would not be all bad. Do you know what you can do with pinto beans, cornbread, onions and turnip greens? Survive.
THE IDEA OF EXPERIMENTING WITH BREAD CAME FROM WATCHING MY MOTHER make recipes from corn meal and the occasional bag of wheat flour. When Jesus told His disciples to pray for “daily bread,” it resonated with everybody that heard it. It’s still good for today. We may see the day when praying for bread may have great meaning. Do you know what kind of food will sustain you in hard times? Do you realize that you will do better in your praying if you are practiced up ahead of time?
DON'T WRITE THIS OFF AS SOMETHING THAT OCCURRED WAY BACK YONDER in history somewhere and now we don’t need to think about it. I’m wondering if anyone is listening. I sure hope so. If you don’t need to pray for bread, then thank God for the bread you had today and what you expect tomorrow. Get practiced up at thanking God for your bread (food) and what you might need to do after you pray for bread in a tight place.
I HAVE A CONFESSION TO MAKE. SOMETIMES I WATCH THE YOUNGER GENERATION eat and I say to myself: “They don’t know. They don’t have a clue. They don’t know the depths to which bread ought to cause instant praise and thanksgiving to God!
MY GERMAN TEACHER CAME TO AMERICA TO ATTEND A BAPTIST CONFERENCE. He told us about it. War broke out and he couldn’t get back home. He was trapped here, and his wife and children were trapped in Berlin. Allied bombers were destroying thousands of buildings. Night after night. When the war was over, he met his family in New York and they went to a restaurant. When they finished their meal, the children all picked up their plates and licked their plates clean in the public restaurant. Dr. Cierpke told how he was crushed when he realized that his family had gone without food in Berlin and that their lives had to be saved every day from certain death. ●Give us this day our daily bread. Ω
Read Through the Bible in a Year
AUGUST 17, 2018 – FRIDAY
A.M. Psalms 107-108 P.M. Romans 15:21-33
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)
A Good Verse to Memorize:
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. (Psalm 19:1) (Write verse on scrap of paper and put in your pocket to memorize.)
Song for Today:
Just Keep on Praying (2:15) (Lester Roloff & Mrs. Gene Price)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDTVXTscehc
You may need to adjust your volume.
Health Hint:
(Holding this over one more day so you can be sure and look at it.) Specialists from Duke University, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Mayo Clinic explain why it is so important to maintain a healthy balance of bacteria in our gut. Follow the link below to access the streaming videos to your computer. (They may have withdrawn the offer of the printed book. They have had over a hundred thousand requests for it and are running behind.)
See if you can stream it on your smart phone. http://www.cbn.com/special/buildabettergut/
Follow this link to Lorrie Johnson’s site within CBN: https://www1.cbn.com/node/256801 ... at least a dozen good videos on health. One of the best medical reporters in America today. Search her web site to learn a lot of good things.
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