I want to challenge us with Jesus’ words in the Lord’s Prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread.” When we pray this phrase in America, we do not mean these words in a literal sense. How can we get in touch with Jesus’ words if most of us cannot relate to them? When is the last time you really had no idea where you were going to get your next meal? I’m not sure I have ever felt so completely helpless in finding food to eat, but Jesus was talking about more than food when He spoke these words – spiritual food. There is a way forward to experience the joy of depending on God for daily bread. We can choose to do the things Jesus did when He prayed, like fasting. The discipline of fasting is giving up something in order to gain something else. In most cases fasting is about giving up some type of food. Tomorrow, I challenge you to give up bread, an entire meal, or something else. The idea is to get to the point where you can pray the prayer “give us this day our daily bread” and mean it! Jesus practiced fasting with prayer often. In fact, He said some things could only be done when we practice both. Start 2015 with a New Year’s fast.
– Rev. Patrick Quinn