The insights shared with the reader in this article are not to be construed as criticism of anybody, but hopefully received as kind suggestions to all brothers in Christ everywhere who are called on to serve at the Lord’s Table. [Editor’s Note: At the risk of hurting someone’s feelings, it is more important to amend where needed this aspect of Christian worship. ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]
Throughout the brotherhood, I sincerely believe there is a great need for more thoughtful and meaningful expressions of thanks as assemblies of worship are being led in prayer before partaking of the emblems representing the body and blood of Jesus. It is spiritually deflating if such prayers are not scriptural and meaningful, and if they do not convey depth of understanding as to the significance of the great sacrifice Jesus made for us.
To illustrate, a brother once prayed: “Thank you, God, for this bread and bless it to the nourishment of our bodies.” Obviously, either he was nervous and did not even realize what he was saying, or else he knew nothing of what the Lord’s Supper is all about. Either way, it detracted a great deal from the spiritual mood of the moment.
Prayers are frequently offered that never thank God for that for which we should be thankful as we partake of the Lord’s Supper. Some brothers, in their prayers at the Lord’s Table, thank God for most everything imaginable while never even making reference to the sacrifice of Christ. This is deeply regretful and lays bare a very real problem in so many places. How can we improve in this very important part of worship?
First of all, brethren should read the accounts directly pertaining to the memorial feast of Christ that is to be observed on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7), and spend some quiet time in prayerful reflection upon them (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29).
Secondly, other related passages should be considered with equal care, such as: Romans 5:6-11; 1 Corinthians 1:18-24; 15:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21; Galatians 1:3-4; 2:20; 6:14; Ephesians 1:3-14; 2:4-9; Philippians 3:7-12; Colossians 1:12-23; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 2 Timothy 1:8b-10; Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7; Hebrews 2:9-18; 7:26-27; 9:11-28; 10:10-12; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 2:21-25; 1 John 4:9-10; and Revelation 7:9, 14. In addition, it would be good to read and think about the message of such songs as, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” “Oh the Depths and the Riches,” and “Nailed to the Cross.”
Having read and pondered the above-mentioned Scriptures and songs, a brother with the responsibility of leading a prayer at the Lord’s Table should then give careful thought as to what would be an appropriately-worded prayer. The prayer should be prayed sincerely and earnestly, from the deep recesses of one’s heart, expressing profound gratitude for God’s love and mercy as manifested in Jesus Christ and His willingness to give Himself on the cross in our stead.
Please consider three last observations: (1) Often, prayers are worded, thanking God for the “bread” and the “fruit of the vine” without even mentioning the body and blood of Jesus. Brethren, it is not the literal bread, per se, nor the literal grape juice, per se, for which we are primarily thankful, but rather the body and blood of Jesus! Only in a secondary sense are we thankful for the emblems themselves, but it is what the emblems represent for which we should be thankful! Why not word our prayers with the emphasis where it belongs? (2) Every public prayer should be worded loudly enough and distinctly enough so people can hear and understand. Brethren should never “mutter through” a public prayer.
(3) Lastly, please brethren, remember, it is God the Father to whom we are praying, and it was Jesus, His beloved Son who died on the cross. It is fallacious to thank the Father for His body given and His blood shed. God is a spirit (John 4:23-24) and a spirit does not have flesh and bones (Luke 24:39). It was Jesus, the only begotten Son of God who became incarnate (John 1:1-4, 14; 3:16-17) and endured the suffering of the cross for us (Philippians 2:5-11). It was, therefore, the body and blood of Jesus that was sacrificed at Calvary. Although the Godhead is “one,” yet the Bible makes a very clear distinction between the Father in heaven and the Son that came to earth as Savior, and we need to be very careful to note that truth. To do otherwise is to err, and to misteach others, even as we pray.
