At Keys Vineyard Church, we are presenting a series called ‘Kingdom Alignment,’ which we post here on Online Bible Institute.

This week in our Kingdom Alignment series, we turn to another spiritual practice that helps us examine our hearts as we ask a very important question: What do you truly hunger for?

Matthew 6:16–18 (NIV)
16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

When many people hear the word fasting, they immediately think about giving up food. While fasting often includes abstaining from meals, Jesus points us to something much deeper. Fasting is ultimately not about skipping meals. It is about understanding our desires. It is about discovering what shapes us from the inside. It is about identifying what has become the master of our appetites.

This weekend our nation celebrates 250 years since Congress approved the final text of the Declaration of Independence. It is appropriate for us to be grateful. Grateful for the freedoms we enjoy. Grateful for those who sacrificed for those freedoms. Grateful for the opportunities we have been given as citizens of this nation.

As followers of Jesus, we also recognize that there is another kind of freedom we celebrate, not just on Independence Day, but every day. Christ came to set us free from the power of sin and from everything that seeks to take His rightful place in our hearts. It is possible to live in a free nation and still be captive on the inside. We can have political freedom while still being controlled by fear, anger, greed, pride, anxiety, comfort, approval, or unhealthy desires.

That is why Jesus includes fasting in the Sermon on the Mount. Fasting has a way of exposing what we depend on most. It reveals the things we instinctively turn to for comfort, security, and satisfaction. It uncovers the places where our appetites have quietly become our masters.

As we continue on in Matthew Chapter 6, we will discover that fasting is not about proving our spirituality or earning God’s favor. Instead, it is an invitation to greater freedom. As we willingly set aside something we desire, we create space for God to reshape our hearts, deepen our dependence on Him, and remind us that our greatest hunger can only be satisfied in His presence.

This weekend at Keys Vineyard Church, we will discuss all this and more, so be sure to join us in person or online.

Steve Lawes is a pastor at Keys Vineyard Church and also the founder of the Online Bible Institute Network.

At Keys Vineyard Church, we are presenting a series called ‘Kingdom Alignment,’ which we post here on Online Bible Institute.

This week in our Kingdom Alignment series, we are going to explore the second half of the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:11-13.

Matthew 6:11–13 (NIV)
11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

One of the most challenging truths in the Christian life is learning to depend on God. We admire strength, independence, and self-reliance. We celebrate people who can solve their own problems, carry their own burdens, and make their own way. Yet when Jesus teaches His disciples to pray, He points them in a very different direction. The second half of the Lord’s Prayer reminds us that life in God’s Kingdom is not built on self-sufficiency but on daily dependence.

After teaching us to pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done,” Jesus turns our attention to our everyday needs. The prayer becomes deeply personal. It addresses our provision, our relationships, and our spiritual battles. It acknowledges that we are people who need help.

Jesus begins with a simple request: “Give us today our daily bread.”

At first glance, this may seem like a small prayer. Yet it reveals a profound spiritual principle. Jesus does not teach us to pray for a lifetime supply of bread. He does not teach us to ask for guarantees, stockpiles, or certainty about the future. Instead, He teaches us to ask for today’s bread.

This language would have immediately reminded His listeners of Israel’s experience in the wilderness. After their deliverance from Egypt, God provided manna from heaven. Each morning the people gathered enough for that day. They could not accumulate it for weeks or months. Every sunrise required a fresh act of trust. Every day they learned that God would provide what they needed.

The lesson was never merely about food. It was about relationship. God was teaching His people to depend on Him. He wanted them to trust His character, not simply His gifts.

The same principle remains true for us today. Most of us would prefer warehouse Christianity. We would like enough peace for the next decade, enough answers for every question, enough resources for every future challenge, and enough faith to eliminate uncertainty. But God often chooses to provide daily bread instead.

Why? Because daily bread keeps us connected to the Bread Giver. Daily dependence draws us into daily fellowship. It reminds us that our security is not found in our plans, savings, abilities, or accomplishments. Our security is found in the faithfulness of God.

Every day becomes an opportunity to discover once again that God is sufficient. Every answered prayer, every unexpected provision, every moment of grace reminds us that we are not walking through life alone.

This weekend at Keys Vineyard Church, we will discuss all this and more, so be sure to join us in person or online.

Steve Lawes is a pastor at Keys Vineyard Church and also the founder of the Online Bible Institute Network.