Psalm 23 is a prayer without asking for anything. When you study the prayers of the Bible you will learn to pray that way. It is a conversation with God, about God, and all that He has provided for you in relationship with you.
The first phrase, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." is unpacked in the rest of the psalm. It is because of who God is in your life that you begin to know all that He has provided for you in life. Since the LORD is his shepherd, he makes the bold declaration, "I have everything I will ever need!"
During the New Testament times, the Stoic philosophers taught something similar. They developed a philosophy around one word. In Greek it was the word "autarkes," which they understood to mean a mental state of total contentment and strength, regardless of the surroundings. This idea was based (for them) around a disciplined mental strength of self- sufficiency. It was the epitome of independence. They too declared, "I have everything I need for any occasion."
The Apostle Paul uses this word, "autarkes," which was their word, one time in the New Testament, in Philippians 4:11. He says, "I have learned in whatever situation I am in to be content...the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need." But the next statement, which many people have adopted as their favorite verse, completely insulted the Stoic teachers. He says in 4:13, "Through Christ who strengthens me, I can do all things." A total dependence upon The Lord Jesus Christ! In essence he said, "The LORD is my shepherd; I have everything I will ever need for any occasion."
During the frantic glut of accumulating more and more, God offers us everything we could ever imagine, in abundance, in Himself, that's all. And in Him, He is all you will ever need for any occasion.
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