“He said to them, 'When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread.”'" Luke 11:2-3
Ever since I was a child, I've worried about money. I grew up in a home where my dad was a business owner, and my mother was a stay-at-home mom. He had several businesses throughout our lives, but nothing that succeeded or made a considerable profit. We often lived paycheck to paycheck. In the early years of my upbringing, my dad worked 70 hours to make ends meet.
My parents feared losing our home when the economy became volatile in 1990. I came home one day to see my mom's head in her hands, crying. When I asked her what was happening, she said, “We might lose our home.” That event stuck in my mind for many years to come.
Additionally, my parents, although they raised me Catholic, didn't attend church. I attended Catholic school and church and became a born-again Christian at eighteen. They didn't know the Lord, but I would get to know him later. As I've matured in my faith, I've learned to go to God with my concerns, particularly financial ones.
Although I may take after my mother and worry about finances, I at least have someone I can go to in times of trouble. I can leave my cares in the hands of the One who can turn things around. Although I still lack trust in God sometimes, I can always return to God and fully trust him.
When my husband's job and total income recently changed, I placed my hope in God. But when I discovered that one of my part-time jobs was being terminated due to budget cuts, I began to worry. I began to place my hope in our ability to provide, not God's. I started to doubt whether God would provide for us. I took my eyes off God and focused on my skills and power. I forgot God’s power to trump anything I can or will have in this life.
This past year, the Lord has provided like never before. Every week, we would look at the total income and be in awe at God’s provision. Because his job’s income varies from year to year, there were times when I secretly wondered whether we would make ends meet. This volatility produced anxiety in me because there was no guarantee we would make the amount needed to pay the bills.
Like my mother, I worried about how we would have enough money to pay our bills. But unlike my mother, I know a loving God who promises to always provide for his children. He has never disappointed us. It is another testimony of God’s faithfulness to provide for his children.
God likes to give good gifts to his children. He doesn’t delight in watching his kids suffer. If our request aligns with his will, he will be faithful. However, we do not always see abundant provision. Sometimes, he gives us just enough. He wants us to ask for his provision every day. He asks us to pray for our daily bread as mentioned in the above verse.
It's important to note that good, healthy bread made without preservatives spoils quickly. This means there was no way to store bread in Jesus’ time. It didn't last long before it molded. People with families used what little food they had to feed everyone, so they had to rely on God for additional provision. This is why he asks us to pray each day for his provision. We should never take for granted that God is our ultimate provider.
My parents missed the opportunity to call on God and witness his faithfulness in providing for us. If they had known God as I did, they might have been able to adopt Jesus’ prayer model and trust that God would give us enough money for food and other things we needed.
Jesu never forgets his children. He wants us to know that we can always approach him boldly, asking him for daily needs and big desires.
Do you trust God for his provision, or do you trust yourself, secretly hoping you will make ends meet?
Let's pray:
Father, let us be people who trust you in everything. Let us testify to your goodness as you show yourself faithful every time. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/KucherAV
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If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Originally published Friday, 07 February 2025.
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