Family Communion Service
When we take communion, we are taking part in everything Jesus’ sacrifice paid for: salvation, peace of mind, healing, prosperity. In short, what He willingly did for us completely rescued us from all the curses of the Mosaic law (see Deuteronomy 28 for example).
Many if not most of the Christian church congregations share communion formally about once a month. However, the family altar at home can make use of this benefit daily if we so choose, as Carol and I have done for years.
Below is one sample of such a service. There is a part to be read by all participants, and another for the head of household or elder family member (IN ALL CAPS). Doing this with a right heart and focused mind can make a definite difference in your life as individuals and as a family.
Read together from the heart before the breaking of the bread (which can be a wafer crisp, cracker, etc.):
“Father God, in the Name of Jesus we recognize that we have a covenant with You. This covenant was ratified by Jesus’ blood that He shed on the cross at Calvary.”
“Because of His body broken for us, we affirm that He bore for us sin, sickness, disease, grief, sorrow, fear, torment, unforgiveness, strife, lack and so on. He substituted Himself for us as a sacrifice, so that we have been completely bought and paid for. We are delivered from all the evil works of Satan the accuser.”
“We are new creations in Jesus the Christ, reborn in the Spirit. We are forgiven. We thank you for all of it in Jesus’ Name.”
Pass out the bread as you examine yourselves under the “magnifying glass” of the Bible:
“Father, in Jesus’ Name we examine our hearts. We judge ourselves in the light of Your Word.”
“In those things where we missed the mark we take on Jesus as our Defense Attorney and our High Priest. Please forgive us as Your Word has promised. It says that you are faithful. You are just. It says you will forgive us whenever we confess our sins, that you will clean us of everything that is not right with you.”
Because of that, we rightly view the body of Christ. We take on Your worthiness to eat the bread and drink the wine. As we take communion together, we have taken on the right standing with You that Jesus has. We are free from the devil’s works in our spirit, soul and body.
“THE LORD JESUS IN THE NIGHT IN WHICH HE WAS BETRAYED TOOK BREAD; AND WHEN HE HAD GIVEN THANKS, HE BRAKE IT AND SAID, THIS IS MY BODY WHICH IS FOR YOU: THIS DO IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME.”
Take the bread together, then pass out the wine (we use shot size glasses of grape juice):
“IN LIKE MANNER ALSO 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 THE CUP, YOU PROCLAIM THE LORD’S DEATH TILL HE COMES.”
Now join hands and confess this:
“Father, we thank You for everything you have provided for us through Jesus the Christ. Today we confess we are blessed of the Lord. The covenant we entered into with You when we accepted Jesus as our Savior and the Lord of our lives is filled with overwhelmingly great, precious promises of God. We receive those promises right now.”
“We call it done that we are healed, made whole and fully restored. We are free from the devil’s authority. We are part of the Kingdom of Your dear Son. We are the head and not the tail. We are above and not beneath. We come up short in no good thing. Everything we set out to do prospers. Praise Your holy Name for the new life we are enjoying. In Jesus’ Name, AMEN!”
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We miss the mark of God’s standard of perfection (maturity) when we engage in strife, unforgiveness, jealousy, envy, hatred, coveting, fear, worry, failure to believe, lust, greed and so on.
The Scriptures given above are taken from 1 Corinthians 11:23-24; Matthew 26:26-28 and Luke 22:19-20. 1 John 1:9-10 says: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
Definitions:
Covenant – this is a binding contractual obligation. In ancient times it was sealed with a blood sacrifice, indicating that the same should happen to us if we fail to live up to the terms.
Redemption – when an acceptable price is paid for a good or service.
Ratified – to confirm or approve.
Body of Christ – the collective of all genuine believers and followers of Jesus.
Promises (blessings) and Curses of God’s Law – listed in Deuteronomy 27-28. You should read these passages to understand just how seriously He takes willful obedience and disobedience. Through His unlawful arrest, kangaroo trials, torture, humiliation, death, burial and resurrection from the dead Jesus paid the price that is rightfully ours so that we can instead enjoy the blessings. No one took His life. Rather, he gave it up for us. The stipulation, of course, is that we must in order to receive them do a 180 degree turn from our previous ways, ask His forgiveness, and take Him on as our Savior and Lord over every aspect of our lives. We cannot clean ourselves up. God must work with us through His Holy Spirit living on the inside of us.
