As someone who gathers with others in your home to spiritually grow in biblical community, you may feel led to take communion. If you want to know how to do communion at home as you join others in a small group, with your family, or at a Church House, keep reading! It is all about posturing your heart to remember what Jesus did for you and taking time to give thanks.
What Is Communion?
Communion is a powerful way to remember what Jesus did for us on the cross, to remember that He is “the bread of life” and whoever believes in and receives Him will never be hungry and never thirst (John 6:35). Communion is intimate fellowship with the Lord and an act of worship among Christians. It consists of praying, giving thanks, and recognizing and declaring what Jesus’ death and resurrection accomplished. It is an act of partaking the bread and wine, which are symbols of Jesus’ body, given to us so that we might have eternal life.
Who Is Communion For?
Communion is for anyone who has received Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Communion can be taken anywhere and at any time, yet there is something powerful when done as a group in a biblical community.
Common Scriptures on Communion
- 1 Corinthians 10:16-17
“The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.”
- 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
“For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.”
- John 6:51-53
“‘I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.’ The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, ‘How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.’”
- Luke 22:19-20
“And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.’”
How to Do Communion at Home
- Prepare your elements
You will need some type of unleavened bread element and juice, wine, or water element. You can either place the elements on a table and people can get them there, or you can pass them out. This will depend on where and how many people are gathering. Decide what works best for your group or family.
As you prepare to do communion at home, decide if you will take the elements as a group or let people take them as they feel ready. Let the group know ahead of time so they know what to expect.
- Pause and reflect on Scripture
Use the scriptures above to read out loud when you do communion at home. Get others involved, even the kids! Have different people read various passages.
- Pray and meditate on what Jesus did on the cross.
This can be a time when people prepare their hearts to take the elements. Meditate on what Jesus did for you on the cross and the scriptures above. Proclaim who He is and thank Him for His everlasting love and the hope He gives us through the promise of the resurrection. It can be powerful when people pray out loud in the group as the Spirit leads. People can, of course, also pray silently.
- Take the elements.
This can be done as a group at once or whenever someone is ready after the time of prayer mentioned above. If it is done as a group, give brief instructions, such as “Let’s now eat the bread and drink the cup.”
- Praise Jesus
Communion is a time to remember, but also a time to praise! Lift up praises out loud as a group, proclaiming Jesus’ perfect work on the cross and making way for you to receive eternal life.
When You Do Communion at Home, Remember…
Communion is a providential act. It is when the Passover Lamb took away the sins of the world.
- The Bread…
When you do communion at home, consider taking it with unleavened bread, which is symbolic.
The Jewish people wouldn’t eat just any bread during Passover. It had to be unleavened. In the Bible, leaven is a picture of sin. The leaven had to be removed from their homes during Passover.
This would reflect the idea that all the sin, the leaven, was being cleansed out of their lives. And on the night before Jesus died, when He had the Passover meal with His disciples, He redefined this meaning forever.
In John 6, Jesus said He was the bread of life, and that whoever eats of Him will never go hungry and whoever drinks of Him will never thirst. Jesus was the unleavened bread. He lived a sinless life. He was about to give His body to be broken, bruised, and bloody so that we might be restored.
On the night of Passover, He took the bread, broke it, and passed it out saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me” –l Luke 22:19).
- The Cup…
Remember that Jesus took the cup of wrath for us. The fruit of the vine, or wine, is a symbol of blood in the Bible. Hebrews 9:22 says, “…and without shedding of blood there is no remission.” All those Passover lambs that came before Him could only temporarily cover the sin of men and women. But the sacrifice would have to be made over and over again.
But the Lamb of God has come, the Anointed One, God's son. The blood of Jesus Christ does more than cover our sins. It cleanses us of it and exonerates us in the eyes of God.
Jesus died guiltless for the guilty and the Lamb of God poured out His blood for many. He took the cup. He said these words. “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:20).
Powerful Communion Prayer
When you do communion at home, consider praying a prayer such as the one below.
When you take the bread and the cup, you can pray…
“Jesus, we love You. We eat this bread to remember forever what You did. You are the unleavened bread of life. Though You came as a man, You were unlike any other man, born of a virgin. You did not carry Adam's seed, so you did not carry Adam's sin. You were conceived of the Holy Spirit. You gave Your sinless body to be broken on our behalf, bruised and bloodied, abused by the very people You came to redeem. You came to Your own but Your own received did not receive You.
“But as many as receive You, You give them the power to be called the children of God. We thank You that we can be numbered among the redeemed, the children of God, members of the family of God, no longer enemies of You. You were flogged for our freedom. You were pierced to ease our pain, and by Your stripes, we are healed.”
“In Jesus, we drink of this cup, remembering the blood of our Passover Lamb, the Lamb of God, and we celebrate the incarnation. God became a man to become our sacrificial lamb. Jesus, You reversed the curse of sin's penalty for all who believe and all who trust in You. We thank You God, in Jesus’ name, amen.”
Not every person who reads this is certain of his or her destiny. Maybe you don’t know where you stand with God.
Today could be the day that you receive Jesus into your heart. Receive His forgiveness. Admit your sin and need for a Savior. We want to help you answer any questions you have. Reach out and connect with us. We’d love to help you on your journey.
