Name: ______
Abiding Savior Free Lutheran Church Confirmation
The Lord’s Prayer: Lesson 4--The Fourth Petition
This lesson is due in class February 3rd. After completing this lesson, the student will be able to:
· Know what the 4th petition is and what it means.
· Be able to define what types of concerns or petitions should a main part of our prayer life.
· Know how the structure of the Lord’s Prayer gives us a guide as to how we should pray and what for.
· Describe what is meant by the phrase ‘daily bread’.
· Know what a biblical definition of contentment is.
· Know what an appropriate response is to God’s graciousness and His providing for our needs and daily bread.
In this week’s study we will turn our attention to the 4th Petition of our Lord’s Prayer.
The 4th Petition: “Give us this day our daily bread…”
Turn to your Catechism, page 111. Read the blue highlighted portion a few times.
1. Summarize in your own words what this petition means.
2. What is meant by the phrase “daily bread”?
3. What type of blessings are sought, or asked of God in this petition?
4. Re-read the Lord’s Prayer. Do the petitions in general seek temporal (worldly, or bodily needs) or spiritual (eternal, heavenly, heart things) things?
5. There is a 6 to 1 ratio in this prayer regarding these requests. What am I referring to? In light of this ratio, what type of request/petition should dominate our prayer life? In truth though, which of these two requests generally dominates our prayer life?
In the first three petitions we are directed to God; the emphasis is upon Him, indicating our primary emphasis is to be upon God as well. The remaining petitions turn our attention to our needs as well as the needs of others. Observe that in the first three petitions, the word “Your” is emphasized. This indicates a setting aside of our needs and requests as we first focus upon God. In the remaining petitions we will see frequent use of the words “our” and “us”, which would now draw our attention to human concerns. While it is not wrong to pray regarding our personal needs, the basic structure of the Lord’s Prayer serves to remind us that our bodily, physical needs are not to dominate our prayer life.
6. What does the basic structure of the Lord’s Prayer reveal about how we should pray?
7. This petition reveals a great principle regarding dependence and provision. Can you identify it? Read the following passages as you answer:
1 Chronicles 29:12-16
Acts 17:25
2 Corinthians 3:5
8. Discuss what “give” means? What does the use of this word imply (some of your answer to #7 may be applicable here). Regarding these gifts, what do the following Scriptures reveal for us?
Matthew 5:45
Genesis 3:19 & 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (does God’s provision mean we are to sit around and do nothing?)
9. What does the word “daily” indicate for us? How are we to pray according to this word? What principle (s) are revealed in the use of this word “daily”?
Read the following passages as you answer.
Exodus 16:4-5
Proverbs 30:8
Matthew 6:31-34 (what does this say about worry?)
10. What does it mean to be ‘content? Does the world in which we live build up or tear down this thought of ‘contentedness’? Read the following passages and give a biblical definition of ‘contentment’.
Proverbs 15:16
1 Timothy 6:6-8
Hebrews 13:5
The use of the word “our” is significant here. It implies we are to eat our own bread, not someone else’s, thus the idea that we are to not steal or gain material things by dishonest ways. Secondly, it implies a concern for those less fortunate. Significantly, the word is not “my” or “me” but “our”—we must think of others as well and include them in this prayer.
11. In regards to the above paragraph regarding the needs of the less fortunate, what do the following Bible verses illustrate concerning this? Are we to care about others?
Matthew 6:2-3
James 2:14-17
12. How are we to receive our daily bread? Read the following passages as you answer. Do we generally receive in this attitude? Why or why not?
Psalm 105:1
Psalm 107:1
Ephesians 5:20
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