Matthew 6:11 asks God for the food a person needs for one day, not a stockpile for years ahead. Jesus teaches it as part of the Lord’s Prayer, the model prayer he gives his followers when they ask him how to pray. The words are spoken by Jesus to a crowd gathered on a hillside, which Matthew records in the Sermon on the Mount.
Give us today our daily bread.
Matthew 6:11 (WEB)
What Matthew 6:11 Means
The phrase “give us” is a request made by a group. Jesus does not teach people to pray only for themselves. The word “us” places each person in a community of people who all depend on God and who pray for one another’s needs as well as their own.
The phrase “today” limits the request to the present day. The prayer does not ask for food for next month or next year. It asks God to meet the needs of the hours ahead, and it trusts that tomorrow’s needs will be brought to him tomorrow. This keeps a person close to God on a daily basis rather than only in a crisis.
The phrase “our daily bread” refers to the food a family needs to get through a day. Bread stood for ordinary provision in that setting. The verse does not promise a life of luxury or freedom from hardship. It does express confidence that God cares about the basic things people need to live, and that asking him for them is a right and natural thing to do.
The Context of Matthew 6:11
Matthew’s Gospel was written for a community of Jewish and Gentile believers, probably in the later first century. Its author is traditionally identified as Matthew, one of the twelve disciples, though scholars debate the exact details. The Sermon on the Mount in chapters five through seven is a collection of Jesus’ teachings about how his followers should live and pray.
Just before verse eleven, Jesus says that your Father knows what you need before you ask him. That sentence shapes how the request should be read. The prayer is not an attempt to inform God or persuade him to act. It is a way of openly admitting dependence and trusting a Father who already knows. Right after the verse, Jesus moves to forgiveness, linking daily provision with daily reliance on God’s mercy.
Key Phrases in Matthew 6:11
Exodus 16:4
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from the sky for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law, or not.
(WEB)
This verse describes God providing manna to the Israelites each morning in the wilderness, with instructions to gather only what was needed for the day. It shows the same pattern of daily dependence that Jesus draws on in the Lord’s Prayer.
Philippians 4:19
My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
(WEB)
Paul writes to the church at Philippi that God will supply every need according to his riches in glory. The verse expresses the same confidence that God attends to the practical needs of his people, which is the trust at the heart of asking for daily bread.
A Short Prayer From Matthew 6:11
Father, you already know what I need before I say a word. Today I bring you the things that weigh on me, the work ahead, the people I love, and the worries I keep returning to. Give me what I need for this day, and help me trust you with tomorrow when it comes. Teach me to receive your provision with gratitude and to share what I have with others who are hungry. Keep me close to you as I walk through the hours ahead. Amen.
