“Give us this day our daily bread.”-Matthew 6:11

To wish and pray for the advantages of life is not forbidden.  Our Savior appears to have commanded us to pray that God would give us our daily bread; that is, that Our Father would bestow what is necessary for our survival and comfort. Yet the very sound of the words minimizes every superfluous and extravagant wish. Jesus does not encourage us to pray for riches and honors, for great advancement or long life, or for prestige for our families. Such things are foreign to a life of ongoing Christian growth and true happiness. It would be foolish to wish for things that would prove our ruin if they were accomplished. But this we may lawfully pray, that, as far as God seems fitting, He would make our state comfortable, and our days easy and tranquil, and that He would save us from falling into any severe and extreme distress.

                                                                                                           - Hugh Blair