A Communion Prayer of Thanks

Communion is a vital part of the church’s worship service, and any biblical Christian church is expected to obey the practice of Communion. Communion came from the Lord’s Supper, which Jesus held on the night He was betrayed. In the Gospel accounts, Jesus took the bread and broke it, gave it to His disciples, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” Also, Jesus took a cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” The bread symbolizes the body of Christ that was beaten for us. Christ took our punishment. Instead of us, who were supposed to be the ones badly beaten, it was Christ. The blood symbolizes the blood of Christ that was spilled for all of us. Jesus lived the perfect, sinless life that we should have lived and died the death that we should have died. We deserve death because of our sin, for the wage of sin is death. However, Christ, our Redeemer, came and took our punishment for us. That is why instead of us, it is He who died on the cross. Christ commanded His disciples to continue performing Communion in remembrance of Him. In 1 Corinthians 11:23–29, the apostle Paul was writing about the practice of Communion, and states that one should never take it in an unworthy manner.

Communion is a serious institution that Christians shouldn’t take lightly. Communion is a time where we remember all that Christ has done for us. We remember His body that was beaten as we broke the bread and His blood that was spilled for our sins. That is why no one can just take Communion whenever they want. It is for those believers who know the true essence of Communion. That is why Communion should never be just a tradition or ritual; it is a very important time where we remember what it took for us to be saved, which is the body and blood of Christ. Communion not only brings to remembrance what Christ did for us, but also that Christ has resurrected from the dead and will soon come again. In 1 Corinthians 11:26, Paul said, “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come”.

Matthew 26:26-29

26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;

28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.

1 Corinthians 11:23–29

23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

What do you pray after Communion?

Communion is a way to remember what Christ has done for us. If we truly knew and understood all that Christ has done for us, it should produce joy and thanksgiving within us. That means our prayers should be prayers of thanksgiving towards God out of the joy we have from the overflowing grace we receive through Christ. Those prayers should also come from humility, as our salvation is something we never deserved but is credited to us. What Christ has done has opened us to many things for which we should be thankful to God. 

Psalm 107:1

O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Ephesians 5:20

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

1 Thessalonians 5:18

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

One of the things we should thank God for in prayer as we do Communion is our salvation. Our salvation is something we never deserved in the first place. God was not required to come down and pay for our sins, but still, He did. Our salvation is only because of God’s grace and mercy. It is from God and of God. Remember that our salvation has a price, and it was the blood of Jesus.

Ephesians 2:1-9

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Titus 3:5

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Father in heaven, thank You for being merciful and gracious and sending Your own Son Jesus to pay for the penalty of our sins on the cross. Christ lived the sinless life I should have lived and died the death I should have died. Thank You because in Christ, we have received forgiveness for our sins, and in Him, we have eternal life. Thank You for the grace You have given me, for turning my heart of stone into a heart of flesh. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Another thing you can thank God for in prayer as you do Communion in church is thanking God that you are now free from the slavery of sin because of what Christ did on the cross. When Christ died on the cross and was resurrected from the grave, He didn’t only pay for the penalty of sin and conquer death, but also broke the yoke of sin on your shoulders. That is why, in Christ, you can now live a holy life. In Christ, you are no longer enslaved to sin, but enslaved to righteousness. You now have the freedom to choose and do that which is right in the eyes of God.

Romans 6:17-18

17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Galatians 5:1

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Titus 2:11-12

11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

1 Peter 2:24-25

24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

Heavenly Father, thank You, as my bondage to sin has been broken through what Christ has done on the cross, where His blood was spilled, but then He rose from the dead on the third day. Now, I am free from sin, and can live a holy and righteous life. Thank You, as it is also in Christ that I receive grace from You. Grace that enables me to live a holy life. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Christ’s blood being spilled does not only mean our justification, but also our sanctification. Those who are in Christ receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one who works in us so that we may become more and more like Jesus every single day. When a person becomes a Christian, they don’t become perfect right away. However, the direction of their lives should be towards holiness and Christlikeness. That is why we Christians are works in progress. There is still a sinful nature in us that the Holy Spirit is working on. The hope we have is that in the future, God’s work in us will be brought to completion, where we are 100% rid of sin. That also points us to the even greater hope, that Jesus will come again and where everything wrong shall be made right, and sin and death shall be no more.

1 Corinthians 1:30-21

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

Romans 6:22

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

Philippians 1:6

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

1 Thessalonians 4:3

For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

1 Thessalonians 5:23

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Father, I thank You because I am justified through what Christ has done on the cross, and I am sanctified in Him, through which I have received the Holy Spirit. Thank You, Holy Spirit, because You are at work within me to make me more and more like Jesus, so that in the future, Your work shall be brought to completion. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

The essence of Communion is about remembering what Christ did for us and its steep price. We should remind ourselves of it because everything in our Christian life is solely founded on Christ and what He has done for our salvation. We have to make sure that we don’t take Communion in an unworthy manner, without understanding its true meaning, or while having no regard for the holiness of God and living in sin (it does not mean you have to be perfect).