Verse: Matthew 6:11-13
11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Devotion:
In these verses, we’re continuing on with what we call the Lord’s Prayer, in which Jesus models for us how to pray. These three verses hit a lot of big topics.

The first verse reminds us of the importance of relying on God for our daily needs. We think of relying on God in the most extreme circumstances, when we have no other choice, or think to praise Him when we have mountaintop experiences. But, what about the mundane day in and day out experiences? Just as we need physical nourishment to sustain our bodies, we also need spiritual nourishment to sustain our souls, every single day, We can trust that God will provide for us each day, just as He has promised. Jesus is reminding us not to forget about talking to Him, every day.

In the next verse, Jesus emphasizes the importance of forgiveness in our prayers. We are called to forgive others just as God has forgiven us. Take a moment to pause and reflect on the vastness of God’s mercy. Think about all He’s already forgiven you for, and how much His grace will continue to extend for You forever. When we hold onto bitterness and resentment, it hinders our relationship with God, preventing us from experiencing the fullness of His love and grace. We can drop these burdens at the feet of Jesus. By extending forgiveness to others, we get to experience the freedom of releasing the burden of anger and find peace in a way that only our Lord can provide.

In the last verse, Jesus reminds us to seek God’s protection from temptation and evil. Every single day we are constantly faced with challenges and temptations in this world. We are surrounded by sin in a fallen, broken world. The sin can be wrapped up in pretty, tempting packages, but is always designed to pull us away from God. We can trust in God’s strength to help us overcome the lure of these temptations. When we turn to Him in prayer, He will guide us and protect us. Only He can strengthen us to keep our eyes focused on Him.

Prayer: 
Lord, remind me today to trust in you for my daily needs. In the quiet moments, give me reminders to seek out communication with you. Help me to rely on your strength and grace so that I might forgive others as you have forgiven me. Thank you Jesus for buying my forgiveness on the cross. Help me to never forget all that you have done, and nudge my heart to the extend the same selfless mercy.  Remind me daily, Lord, to rely on you to protect me from temptation and evil. Thank you Lord, we love you. Amen

Author: Becca Artymenko