Bless yourself with the Holy Cross and say:
In the name of the Father and of the ✛ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life ✛ everlasting. Amen.
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive 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 and ever. Amen.
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that you would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the ✛ evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the ✛ evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
Throughout this year of Congregation at Prayer, we will be praying the Psalms in canonical order. Please locate Psalm 101 in either your hymnal or Bible and join in praying this ancient hymn-prayer of the Church. If the Psalm is particularly long, consider splitting it and praying it over multiple days.
The Our Father: Fourth Petition Give us this day our daily bread. Pre✛
What does this mean? First Grade ✛
God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil people, but we pray in this petition that God would lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.
What is meant by daily bread? Second Grade ✛
Daily bread includes everything that has to do with the support and needs of the body, such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, home, land, animals, money, goods, a devout husband or wife, devout children, devout workers, devout and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, self-control, good reputation, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.
The Fourth Petition of the Lord's Prayer is what we might call a First Article petition. It asks for those things that we need for this body and life, those things we confess God gives us in the First Article of the Creed. The implication is clear: regardless of how hard we work, how much care we take, how well we handle our finances, in the end, it is God who gives us the things we need each day. If He were to withhold His gracious gifts, there would be nothing we could do to acquire them on our own. They are gifts. And we receive them from His loving hand.
Now, in His mercy and grace, God continues to pour out this daily bread on everyone, even without our prayers. He doesn't only give it to those who deserve it, for the reality is, none of us deserve anything good. But God is loving, and so we receive these gifts with thanksgiving. The trouble comes when we start to think that we're independent, that we don't need anyone else, that we can do it all on our own. We're prone to become arrogant and to think that it's all because of us that we have the things that we need. May God give us repentant hearts that we may recognize ourselves as creatures and Him as our creator and sustainer, that in all things we would give Him thanks.
* Deuterocanonical readings linked to NRSVA, which includes these texts. All other readings link to NKJV.
O God, who hast prepared for them that love Thee such good things as eye has not seen, pour into our hearts such love toward Thee that we, loving Thee in all things and above all things, may obtain Thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Martin Luther, 1483–1546