Most Cherished Lord, You said in Your Word … “I am the Bread Of Life. He who comes to me will never go hungry and he who believes in me will never thirst.” People eat bread and drink wine to sustain their physical life. I can satisfy my spiritual hungers and sustain my spiritual being by partaking in communion and maintaining a close relationship with You. As a result of Your promising to give me eternal life, it is right that You spoke of Yourself as the Bread of Life. In the same way that I eat physical food to maintain my strength and grow, I must partake of Your Body and Blood in order to sustain my spirit man and grow in faith. When I pray the Lord’s Prayer saying “give us this day our daily bread”, I am actually doing more than asking You to feed me in the natural … I am calling on You to sustain me spiritually. What I long for the most is some “soul food.”
Your goal has always been to take care of the feeding of Your flock. You showed this when You provided fruit for Adam and Eve to eat in the Garden … You supplied manna and doves to Your children to eat on their journey across the desert on their way to the Promised Land … You fed the multitude many times when You were here on earth … and, You shared the Passover meal with Your disciples before going to the cross. I cannot skip or neglect my trips to the alter to partake in Your Body and Blood. When I feel myself running out of strength, I need an infusion of Your “soul food” to put a spring in my step and joy in my heart. In the same way that natural food helps me grow in stature, so do I need Your Body and Blood to facilitate my spiritual growth. Because You are the Living Bread sent down from Heaven, I have Your assurance that, if I partake, I will live forever.
Every time I think of You in communion, I am reminded of the Good Shepherd leading His sheep (me) to green pastures (the alter) for refreshing and restoration. As one of Your sheep, I show complete dependence on You for my care and feeding. In Your presence, I feel content and one with You. It makes me want to follow Your lead and do what You ask of me. If I rebel against Your call to the Communion Feast, I am not only rebelling against You but my own well-being. The strength and courage I draw from receiving Your Body and Blood prepares me for the battles I face against the enemy of my soul. You instruct me in Your Word to remember You each time I eat of Your Body and drink of Your Blood. I do that by remembering what You did and why You did it. Those thoughts move me to become what I have eaten. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
I Corinthians 11:24-25 “This is my body, which is given up for you; do this in remembrance of me … This cup is the new covenant in my blood, do this in remembrance of me.”