Give us this day our daily WHAT?

Many Christians regularly recite the “Lord’s Prayer” at home and during their church services. And a lot of people use Jesus’ teaching about how to pray in Luke 11 as a model or an outline.

One of the instructions from our Lord is to ask our Father in Heaven to “give us this day our daily bread.”

Now, I don’t think Jesus was talking about literal bread! But instead, He was teachings us to ask God to meet our daily needs for food, clothing, shelter, and all the other things we need for a well-lived life.

So here is my question . . . do you know how much you need for your “daily bread?” In a time when so many men, women and couples struggle with financial pressures, this can be a very important number to know! And it can also start you on a path to peace and security.

And then when we know the number, just like Jesus tells us to do, we can pray with clarity and specificity “give us this day our daily bread.”

Your daily bread is an easy number to compute. You add up all your expenses (remember to include those that you pay only once or twice a year). Figure out how much you need for a full year . . . and then divide that figure by 365. Voilah! Now you know how much you need for your daily bread! See, it’s easy.

Now here are the challenges that many people have:

First, they never do the work to see how much they really need to live on! And when you don’t know how much you need, it’s almost impossible to stay within good stewardship boundaries (that’s another way of saying a budget). This is especially true for those who don’t have lots of money coming into their coffers each and every month! So you don’t know where you are. You don’t know where you are going (a money plan). And thus, you have no idea what to do next to manage your finances.

Second, so many people live without a spending plan! Actually, I can understand why. When you look at a lot of the plans financial experts suggest – they just seem too complicated and hard to manage. So, folks give up or never get started in the first place.

I used to be that way until I created the “Six Pots System” I use for my financial matters. Not only is this helpful for managing and tracking my household expenses, but it also serves as a really great system for setting goals and working toward growth. I think one reason the Six Pot System is so successful is that it’s balanced and takes into account how real people live and what we really need to stay on track.

I can’t go into all the details about this in one short article, but here is the gist of the system. There are Six Pots that “hold” the money that comes into my household. And then the funds are distributed according to the designated pots:

Tithing 10%
Investment 10% (never spent)
Fun 10%
Education and Spiritual Development 10%
Savings for Spending 10% (for occasional expenses)
Household Expenses 50% (housing, food, utilities, etc.)

Every dollar is divided according to the percentages and allocated into one of these pots . . . and then the funds are spent only in that manner.

Using this Six Pot System – along with what I’ve learned about God being my Source and how to pray about financial matters – has eliminated the confusion for managing a home budget. Plus, it’s so easy and keeps me on track!

So, how much do you need for your “daily bread?” Do yourself a favor and figure it out!

And then, take some time and figure out your own Six Pot allocations! You might need to shift some of the percentages at first. But I can promise that using this system to manage your money . . . and then to come to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to “give us this day our daily bread” when you really know what you are praying for . . . will make a huge difference in your life!

If you want even more help, check out The Daniel Fast for Financial Breakthrough (best viewed using Internet Explorer). Many people use it whether they are fasting or not . . . and so many have experienced the breakthrough they need and the financial security and peace they want and that the Lord wants for them and YOU!