An Old Prayer

Followers of Jesus pray for ‘our daily bread’ because he taught us to. Jesus himself no doubt picked up this prayer from others, though. In fact, he most likely learned it from a man named Agur in the Old Testament who prayed this very prayer. We know nothing of him, except these two things: he was tired of the struggles of living this life and he had a friend named Ithiel with whom he shared his innermost thoughts and spiritual journey (see Proverbs 30:1).

Spend some time with this prayer today. No wonder Jesus liked it so much that he incorporated it into the prayer he taught his friends. What is standing out to you? What is there in it that you need to pray about today?

Give me neither poverty nor riches
But give me only my daily bread.

Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you,
And say, “Who is the LORD?”

Or I may become poor and steal,
And so dishonor the name of my God.

- Proverbs 30:8-9