In the Fourth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer, we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Martin Luther wrote the explanation for this petition this way: What does this mean? “God surely gives daily bread without our asking, even to all the wicked, but we pray in this petition that he would lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.” Then Luther asks this question: What then is meant by daily bread? He answers: “Daily bread includes everything that we need for our bodily welfare, such as food and drink, clothing and shoes, house and home, fields and flocks, money and goods, a godly family, good workers, good government, honest leaders, good citizens, good weather, peace and order, health, a good name, loyal friends and good neighbors.”
Certainly, there is nothing wrong asking God to provide our “daily bread.” God is concerned, however, about the attitude of our hearts from which such a request comes. If we look to our God with an attitude of appreciation and faith, He is pleased.
What’s more, it’s important to keep in mind that while the request for God providing for our physical needs is important, what the Lord provides through His word and sacraments to meet our spiritual hunger remains most important. As our gracious Lord comes to us in His word and sacraments, there we witness the LORD in all His saving glory for spiritually hungry sinners.