Dependence - Matthew 6:11-15

“Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” - Mattew 6:11-13

In the time and culture that we each live in, we often forget God's deep sustaining power over our lives. We often don't feel insecure about where the next meal will be or if we will have enough oxygen to keep breathing. But if we were to stop and reflect, we would realize just how dependent we are on God. We would recognize that in Him, we live and move and have our being, and apart from Him, we can do nothing. The Lord's prayer reminds us of our daily dependence on the provision of God for our needs physical, mental, and spiritual.

It also reminds us that we are dependent on God for the forgiveness of our sins. We are dependent on Jesus' sacrifice on the cross to pay our debt so that we might have a right relationship with God. We must also be dependent on God's Spirit to help us forgive others. Our forgiveness of others' sins reflects the forgiveness that we have received from God.

We must also realize that there is a spiritual battle that is greater than ourselves. We cannot fight against the forces of evil in ourselves or the world without God's help. We need God's grace and Spirit to walk in obedience and godliness. Just as we need God for our daily bread, we need God for our daily spiritual battle.

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Resources

Article - Our Lord's Prayer by Philip Doddridge

Sermon - Give Us Each Day by Alistair Begg

Book - Helping Your People Discover a Praying Life by Paul Miller

Reflection Questions