E.M. BOUNDS ON PRAYING FOR DAILY BREAD

We do not live in tomorrow but in today. We do not seek tomorrow’s grace or bread. They thrive best, and get the most of life, who live in the living present. They pray best who pray for today’s needs, not tomorrow’s, which may render our prayers unnecessary and redundant by not existing at all.

True prayers are born of present trials and present needs. Bread, for today, is bread enough. Bread for today is the strongest sort of pledge that there will be bread tomorrow. Victory today, is the assurance of victory tomorrow. Our prayers need to be focused on the present. We must turn to God today, and leave the morrow entirely with him. The present is ours; the future belongs to God.

As everyday demands it’s bread, so every day demands its prayer. No amount of praying, done today, will suffice for tomorrow’s praying. On the other hand, no praying for tomorrow is of any great value to us today. Today’s manna is what we need; tomorrow God will see that our needs are supplied.

There is no storing tomorrow’s grace or tomorrow’s praying; neither is there any laying-up of today’s grace, to meet tomorrow’s necessities. We cannot do tomorrow’s praying.

The Necessity of Prayer