"Give us this day our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11).

David was quick to acknowledge God's wondrous daily care in Psalm 68:19. "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation." He recognized that it was the Lord who day by day loaded him down with many glorious blessings, not the least of which was salvation.

David also recognized that prayer should be offered to God on a daily basis. "Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: . . . Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily" (Psalm 86:1, 3). "Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice" (Psalm 55:17).

David also experienced daily persecution, "Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me. Mine enemies would daily swallow me up" (Psalm 56:1-2). "As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?" (Psalm 42:10).

Yet, in spite of it all, David could say, "So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows" (Psalm 61:8).

As with David, so with us. The constant daily exercise of diligently performing that which we have promised God should be of utmost importance. "I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all His people" (Psalm 116:18).

May we, like the early church, continue "daily with one accord. . . . Praising God, and having favor with all the people" so that the Lord would be pleased to add "to the church daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:46-47). May we "die daily" (I Corinthians 15:31) to sin and emerge victorious! NPS