The Bible doesn’t tell us specifically when to take communion, or how often we should take it, but it does tell us why we should take communion. There are two basic reasons.

The first is to commemorate and remember what Jesus did for us in going to the cross to pay the penalty for our sins and provide salvation. In 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 the Apostle Paul writes, “ For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

Paul goes on to tell us in verse 28 that “Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.” We should make sure we are not holding onto any unconfessed sin and we should recommit our lives to the Lord. In that regard, I often pray David’s words of confession and dependency on God from Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

In addition to calling us to remember Christ’s sacrifice for our salvation, communion also calls us to look forward. 1 Corinthians 11:26 says, “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” That should be a great encouragement to us as we live through all of life’s ups and downs. It will help us to keep looking up, knowing that Jesus is coming again and we will be with him forever in his eternal kingdom of righteousness!

These are the reasons we take communion.