The Bread We Really Need

In John 6:34 the crowd said to Jesus, “Sir, always give us this bread.” They were thinking of the bread that fills the stomach, but Jesus was pointing to something greater—the Bread of Life that fills the soul.

Every day we hunger—not just for food, but for love, for peace, for security, for meaning. We try to fill ourselves with things that never last: success, possessions, approval, entertainment. Yet, just as physical bread perishes, so do these substitutes.

Jesus redirects us: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35) The bread He offers is not temporary, but eternal. It satisfies the deepest hunger in us: the need to be forgiven, loved, and held secure in God’s promises.

So today, instead of asking only for the bread that gets us through the day, let us pray:

“Lord Jesus, give us this bread always—Your presence, Your peace, Your life within us. Fill our hearts where the world leaves us empty, and let us be nourished by You.”