Give us today our daily bread. Matthew 6:11
“Above all, he who preaches peace and unity did not want us to pray by ourselves in private or for ourselves alone. We do not say, “My Father, who art in heaven,” nor “Give me this day my daily bread.” It is not for himself [or herself] that each person asks to be forgiven, not to be led into temptation or to be delivered from evil. Rather, we pray in public as a community, and not for one individual but for all.”
Cyprian of Carthage (c. 200-258) in Lord’s Prayer as recounted Milton Walsh in Witness of the Saints: Patristic Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2012) 672.
As the year draws to a close, our tendency is to take personal stock, to make sure I have enough for myself or my family or even for my local church. We don’t tend to think about the larger body of Christ worldwide.
In some places, the global church is persecuted. Elsewhere she is starving or thirsty. In most places she lacks stewardship training because missionaries brought the gospel but left nationals dependent on outside support.
I invite you to pray the Lord’s prayer afresh with me. At the heart of us you find today’s Scripture. Read it ten times thinking of those in need in the majority world and praying it in community with them.
As a gift, if you want to grow in your understanding and practice of generosity in community, click here to download the PDF of the 30-day devotional book that Travis Shelton and I wrote entitled, Community.