Is this really about 'bread'?
This part of Jesus' prayer is not about the bread eaten by our physical bodies.One can find food on this planet with or without God's help. Food literally grows on trees here. Or in the case of bread, wheat grows from the ground and can be harvested and milled. From there it can be made into bread.
We don't need to ask God for food in order to get fed. Most of us simply need to work to get our food. Sometimes this requires hard work. Regardless of whether we ask God for food, we will still likely have to work to continue to have food available.
Furthermore, Jesus has already answered this question:
"Man shall not live on bread alone." (Matthew 4:4)
Jesus was speaking metaphorically, about becoming spiritually fed. How do we know this? Consider this teaching of Jesus:
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat? Or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matt. 6:28-33)The reality is that God has designed nature to provide each species with their allotment of food, which must be worked for but also shared.
This assumes that each of us takes what we need and shares the rest, rather than hordes it - which is what is taking place in human society today. There is enough food for everyone by His design. We may not share it properly - but there is enough for everyone.
But even if someone is well-fed, this brings no spiritual satisfaction. Physical food does not provide spiritual fulfillment.
The "daily bread" Jesus is referring to metaphorically is the bread that feeds our soul. Jesus is referring to soul food. That which feeds the spirit-person within the physical body.
What food will fulfill our spirit?
As Jesus states in Matthew 6:28-33 above, having plenty of food will not fulfill our real craving. Physical food will not fill our need for spiritual fulfillment.This is why wealth or fame does not satisfy us. Those with wealth and/or fame continue to seek more of those things and anything else. Once wealth and fame is reached, those who have achieved that do not stop. They keep on trying to get more. It is like a bottomless pit.
This tells us we do not have to pray for food or any other material thing. Indeed, Jesus’ teachings illustrate that the things of this world will not satisfy us.
This is because we are not these temporary physical bodies. Our identities are not physical. We are spirit-persons driving temporary physical bodies. Jesus emphasizes this throughout his teachings, including this statement:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-20)Why then this seeming departure to pray to God for our “daily bread”?
The “bread” Jesus is referring to in Matt. 6:11 is our relationship with God. We need to love and serve God as our heart and soul. This is confirmed in the previous stanza of the prayer:
"Your kingdom come, Your will be done."
By serving God we become part of his intimate kingdom, and we grow in our love for Him, which feeds us spiritually. Loving God and serving God becomes our daily bread.
We need this love for God every day. We need this loving relationship with God all day long. We need this loving relationship or we become spiritually hungry. Without this loving relationship, we are seeking satisfaction from all sorts of different things, trying to fill the empty void caused by not having this intimate relationship. This is confirmed by Jesus elsewhere:
" 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matthew 22:37-38)
