Last week I had the opportunity to preach at a chapel service for a local Christian school. I had so much fun! At one point I was describing the parable of a man who found treasure in a field and gave up everything to have it. A distraught voice followed up quickly, “Not my bike!” At least he was listening, huh?

Before the service, I was talking to the headmaster and she described God’s provision to me. Running a school is expensive. Keeping it affordable for families is even more expensive. How was she supposed to make ends meet? She wasn’t sure. But for eight years running, there has always been money to meet the bills. Always. And we both knew where it came from.

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us that our God is a provider. That means we can and should ask him for our needs. Big or small, God wants to hear them. Jesus expands on this in Matthew 6:30-33:

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

If God cares about grass, how much more will he care about you? Grass is destined to last only for a little while, but you were made to live forever. God knows what we need. He knows the bills that we fear we can’t pay this month. He knows the food we need. He knows the healing for which our body longs. He knows it all and it all comes from his hand. When Jesus teaches us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” he’s teaching us not to be anxious, but to ask. Don’t be anxious about your needs. Ask your Father for them.

So, what worries you? What’s that thought that lingers in your mind just moments before you fall asleep? Often our impulse is to worry about what we don’t have. At some level, few of us trust that God is listening. And if he is listening, our need is too small to catch his attention. But Jesus assures us none of that is true. Many of us give little thought to our next meal, but our Father is paying attention. He cares about even the things we take for granted.

Brothers and sisters, can we learn from Jesus and develop a new habit? Instead of getting anxious when we encounter need, let’s ask our Father who gives us even our daily bread.