Luke 11:3

Luke 11:3, in plain English

Give us today what we need for today. That's it. Not next month's provision, not a lifetime supply -- just enough for right now. Jesus teaches you to trust God one day at a time.

Why it's here

This echoes how God fed Israel with manna in the desert -- just enough for each day, no hoarding allowed. It's a prayer of trust, not anxiety.

Who's speaking

Jesus teaches this as part of the model prayer, showing that it's okay to bring your everyday needs to God.

Where it sits in the story

Right in the middle of the most famous prayer ever, Jesus puts something beautifully ordinary: bread. God cares about your daily, practical, real-life needs.

The scholarly reading

The petition for 'daily bread' (ton arton hēmōn ton epiousion) uses the rare word epiousios, found almost nowhere else in Greek literature. It likely means 'bread for the coming day,' expressing daily dependence on divine provision.

Language and setting

The request echoes Israel's daily manna in the wilderness (Exodus 16). The present imperative 'keep giving' (didou) emphasizes ongoing, daily reliance rather than stockpiling.

Voice

Jesus continues teaching the model prayer, moving from God-centered petitions to human needs.

Significance

After orienting toward God's glory, the prayer turns to the most basic human need: food for today. Jesus teaches His followers to live in day-by-day trust.

1One day in a place where Jesus had just finished praying, one of His disciples requested, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

2So Jesus told them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come.

3Give us each day our daily bread.

4And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’”

5Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose one of you goes to his friend at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,

Read all of Luke 11 — The disciples ask for a prayer, and Jesus gives them words that have echoed for two thousand years. Then he warns against empty religion.