Today we start our 40 days of prayer by examining the first of the 7 specific I AM statements where Jesus declares Himself to be the Bread of Life. As we do it is important to remember the Bible tells us that Jesus, when speaking to the masses, liked to use examples of things that were familiar to His listeners. For instance, Jesus would often talk about the sun and the rain to explain God’s grace upon all mankind. He would talk about planting seeds or going fishing to explain the importance of reaching others with the truth of the Gospel. Jesus spoke of a farmer, a king, a merchant, a vineyard, a pearl, a lamp, a son, a wedding, a treasure in a field; all things everyday men and women knew. When we come to the I AM statements of Jesus it is no different and today's subject is one that is very common to all of us. It is a particular tasty topic and that is bread!

Jesus uses bread in His teachings, parables, and miracles. When tempted by the Devil to turn stones into food, Jesus responded by quoting scripture: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:1-4). When teaching His disciples to pray, He includes the phrase, “Give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:5-15). One of His amazing miracles involves breaking five loaves of bread and two fish, and providing enough food for 5,000 men (Luke 9:10-17). And in John 6, Jesus refers to Himself saying, “I am the Bread of Life.”

Jesus—God in human flesh—knows our physical and spiritual hungering. Jesus knows that we need bread for sustenance. Jesus wants to be the “Bread” that sustains us, our daily “Bread” that comes from Heaven.

So, what are you hungering for? Are you looking for the “Bread” that will truly satisfy?