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SUBJECT: The Lord's Supper and Prayer.

How many of you are satisfied with your prayer lives? Most of us are not. We don't pray enough. We don't pray warmly enough. We want to pray more, but we don't. We deplore our lifeless prayers, but keep on praying them. If we need anything at all, we need a revival of prayer. In the closet; in the family; in the church. What Isaiah said of His people can be said of us, too: "There is none...who stirs himself up to take hold of [God]".

That's the problem. Now, what do we do about it? Discipline is helpful; the Psalmist reserved "Seven times a day" to praise the LORD. Daniel never missed his morning, afternoon, and evening devotions. The Jews had an "Hour of prayer" each day. These are good things; if they don't become a dull routine, they can be a real blessing.

But discipline is not enough. If we're to pray more and better than we do, we need incentives. We need something to motivate us; something to make us eager to pray.

The Lord's Supper can help us here. It brings two things to mind which will help our prayer lives. What are they?

1. Our need. "This is the blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many, for the remission of sins". The Lord's Supper is not observed in heaven among "the spirits of just men made perfect". It is eaten in the Church by people who know they are sinners.

What's a sinner? When our Lord instituted His Supper, the word had a fixed meaning. A sinner was not one who sinned. The Pharisees knew they sinned, yet didn't consider themselves sinners. Why not? Because their sins could be remedied through the Law. Their spiritual weaknesses could be strengthened by obedience. Their mistakes would be covered by the daily sacrifices.

A sinner, then wasn't merely "one who sinned". He was, rather, one who sinned so badly that the Law could not help him! Some sins were "high handed"--willful and presumptuous. The Law made no provision for that sinner. He must be banished from the people or stoned to death.

We come to the Lord's Table as people who cannot save themselves. As people in need. In desperate need of God's grace in Jesus Christ.

This knowledge will help you pray. Think about it: When do you pray hardest--when you get a raise or when you lose a job? When you're well or when you're sick? When your sermon was prepared Tuesday afternoon or when you're still working on it Saturday night? Of course you pray harder when you feel your need of God and of His mercy.

The Lord's Supper reminds you of that. It teaches us that we are so lost that nothing could save us but the death of God's Only Begotten Son.

2. God's grace. Our need is great, but His grace is even greater. "Where sin did abound, grace did much more abound".

The Lord's Supper reminds us of His grace. For what does the Bread stand for? It stands for the body of our Lord which was "broken"--"stricken, smitten, afflicted, wounded, bruised, chastised, striped, pierced, slaughtered, and buried" for us.

Thinking of His sacrifice fills us with thanksgiving and praise--which are a large part of prayer. What's more, it stimulates faith, for "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not also with Him, freely give us all things?"

If God gives His Son for us, won't He give us everything else we need? If only we ask Him!

And so, if you're prayer life isn't what it ought to be, I challenge you to think of the Lord's Supper--and what it stands for--the death of Christ for sinners. If that won't warm your heart to prayer, I don't know what will.

God fill our hearts with the Gospel. Do it for Christ's sake. Amen.