The Benefits of Taking Communion in Church or at HomeWatch and Pray

Christians receive both spiritual and physical benefits of taking Communion, whether in church or in their homes.

Jesus instituted the Communion meal, or the Lord’s Supper, as a memorial of His atoning sacrifice on the cross (Luke 22:14-26).

Moreover, Jesus commanded His disciples to do this in remembrance of Him (1 Corinthians 11:23-25). Therefore, Christians are to regularly observe Communion and prayerfully consider what Christ has done for them.

What Are the benefits of taking Communion?

The more we take communion, the more we receive its spiritual and natural benefits. When we take Communion, we are:

Reminded of all that God has done. Each time we take Communion, we are reminding ourselves of the Covenant we have with God. This Covenant was ratified by the blood of Jesus Christ when He was crucified on the cross for our sins (Hebrews 9:22). As a result of Christ’s sacrifice, all humankind has been reconciled to God and forgiven of their sins.
Commemorating the death of Christ. Jesus redeemed us from the eternal consequences of sin and reconciled us to God the Father (Colossians 1:20). As a result, the bread and the wine (or juice) reminds us of Jesus’ broken body and the blood that He shed on the Cross. Moreover, Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself makes us love Him even more.
Being healed. Jesus endured extreme physical abuse before He was nailed to the Cross. His injuries and massive blood loss healed us from our generational iniquities and physical ailments (Isaiah 53:15). Therefore, we can now have peace in our minds, bodies and emotions, through Jesus’ suffering.
Defeating the plan of Satan against our lives. When Jesus died on the cross, He freed the world from the dominion of sin and Satan’s power. Therefore, the Blood of Jesus Christ is our defensive weapon that cancels every plot Satan has devised against us.

Receiving the benefits of taking Communion in your home

It is a privilege to share the Communion meal with fellow Christians in a Sunday church service. However, circumstances may prevent us from attending church service in person. The good news is that we do not have to miss out on the benefits of taking Communion. We can take Communion in our homes as often as we are directed by the Lord. Follow the steps below:

Pray over the Communion elements

Use an unsalted cracker or unleavened bread and a small amount of wine or juice for the Communion elements. Then, follow the guide below.

Examine yourself

Before we partake of Communion, the Bible tells us in First Corinthians 11:28 to “examine ourselves” so that we will not participate in the Lord’s Supper in an “unworthy manner.” The word “examine” in this verse means to check and make sure our hearts are right with God. We do this by honoring and remembering the Lord’s work of salvation on the cross. Then, we check our hearts to see if we need to repent of any unconfessed sin or forgive anyone. We can do this by asking the Holy Spirit to show us anything within us that is displeasing to God. Afterwards, whatever He reveals to us must be dealt with immediately.

Here is a sample prayer to pray before taking communion:

Father, I thank you for inviting me to share in Christ’s suffering that I might also share in His glory. I examine myself before You and ask that You forgive me of every unconfessed sin I have committed. Father, Your Word says that if we confess our sins, You are faithful and just to forgive us of our sins. And, You will cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Therefore, I confess and forsake my sins and ask Your Holy Spirit to cleanse and renew me.

The bread

The Communion bread represents the body of Christ which was given for our sins (John 6:51). Hold the bread in your hand and pray this prayer:

Father, I thank You for this unleavened bread which represents the body of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 11:24). I take this bread in remembrance of Your love for me. And Jesus, I thank You for bearing my sins in Your body on the Cross. By the stripes that fell on Your back, my body is healed—from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet. Now, every cell, organ and function of my body is healed, restored and renewed, in Jesus’ Name.

The Communion cup

Leviticus 17:11 says, “The life of the body is in the blood.” So, the body of Christ, represented by the bread, is brought to life by drinking the Communion cup. Here is a sample prayer to pray before drinking the wine or juice:

Father, I thank you for this cup. This cup represents Your new covenant with mankind, sealed with Jesus’ blood (1 Corinthians 11:25). Jesus, I thank You for shedding Your Blood at Calvary. Through Your blood, I am forgiven of all my sins and declared righteous. Now, Father, by faith, I drink of the cup and receive all of Your promises of healing, wholeness and provision.

Declarations to pray following Communion

You may feel led to praise God and His Son, Jesus, through prayer declarations. So, here are sample declarations that you can make:

As I eat the flesh and drink the blood of Jesus Christ, I renew my covenant with Him and receive the life therein. For it is written, the life of the body is in the blood.
Father, as I eat and drink, I renew my covenant with You and receive new life through Jesus Christ.
Let the power in Jesus’ Blood cleans my spiritual vision that I may receive of the Lord unhindered, in the name of Jesus.
I receive the virtue, strength, power, and anointing of the Blood of Jesus. Now, let the Blood of Jesus resurrect all that is dead within me and strengthen my life, in Jesus’ Name.
As I eat the flesh of Jesus Christ, I receive new spiritual strength to put under subjection all works and desires of the flesh and obey God’s laws.
The power of the blood of Jesus is cleansing me from all inherited iniquities and sins. Jesus’ blood is making old things pass away in my life and transforming everything to become new.