THROWBACK THURSDAY: ‘Prayers at the Table’ (1984)

By William S. Boice 
April 15, 1984; p. 9 

Is there a church that has no story to tell about prayers at the Lord’s table? We of the New Testament order often find our­selves criticized by our denominational brethren of a more liturgical custom who find our somewhat casual approach to Communion to be nearly offensive. It bears thinking about.  

Years ago in a Cincinnati church we had a blessed elder of many years who often prayed, “O Lord, bless all them that precipitate in this service.” You could hear some of the school­teachers choke!  

Of recent memory in Phoenix is an elder now gone to glory whose presence at the Lord’s table guaranteed close listening but little reverence. One Sunday he prayed, “O Lord, we thank Thee for the birds and the bees, the flowers and the trees.” At the close of the service, another elder whispered fiercely to this minister, “Preacher, that old fool’s too old to be thinking about the birds and the bees.” 

When our church was new, one good man who had been elected to be an elder, came in distress. He did not know how to pray in public and urgently needed help. “Write your prayer on a card,” we told him. “Hold it in your hand so it will remind you of what you want to say; it will give you confi­dence.” 

When Sunday came, he held the card firmly in both hands, but he shook so hard he couldn’t read it!  

For years we have heard pros and cons on elders who “pray from the heart” and elders who prefer to write their prayers before they give them. We believe both are valid. Professor Sayrs of sainted memory at Cincinnati Bible Semi­nary used to tell us that if he had an appointment with Presi­dent Roosevelt, he would not go into his presence unprepared. He would not slap him on the back and talk about the weather, he said, but he would, with respect, converse about the thing that brought him into his presence. We have remembered that.  

We have heard prayers ill-thought-out, wandering, not ad­dressed to the purpose for which the family of God has come around the table of the Lord. And we have heard others to whom the gift of prayer has been so great they lift us to the very throne of God!  

In a single Lord’s Day recently, two of our elders inspired and blessed us with their fervent, loving words before the Lord’s table. We thought you might enjoy them, also.  

Elder Lowell Dorman prayed thus:  

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Our Waiting Father,  

In the spirit of consecration, we are in Your presence today. Through eyes of faith, we look upon Jesus Christ, our Savior. We know the joy of His salvation. We have lived in the strength of His fellowship. In walking with Him, we have walked in His light. His blood has cleansed us from our sins. By His death, we have been saved the consequences of our transgressions. Cause us now to see in this loaf and cup the representation of His precious life given in loving sacri­fice for us. Renew a right spirit within us, O God.  

We pray in Christ’s name,  

Amen.  

At the second service, another elder, Dr. Rex Brewster, offered this prayer:  

Our Heavenly Father, we have come together to praise Your name. Jesus, Your Son and our Savior, was glorified on this the first day of the week. Jesus the light of the world. Do we find it strange that recorded as the first command on creation week was, “Let there be light,” “and it was good”?  

Let us open our hearts to Your light and, as the apostle Paul admon­ished the Corinthians, “clean out the old leaven” so that we may be new and unleavened. “For Christ, our Passover lamb, also has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the feast not with old leaven nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”  

This feast of the New Covenant—the broken loaf, the scarlet cup. Eat and drink this, in remembrance of Me. The simple command—with all the hope of eternity. May we now renew our commitment and obedience to glorify You. We pray all in that name above all—Jesus! Amen.  

As the years have gone by, we have come again and again into the very presence of the crucified Lord through the prayers of godly men who, on behalf of the congregation, have helped teach us to pray. It is a blessed gift.  

William S. Boice is minister emeritus with First Christian Church, Phoenix, Arizona. 

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A few years ago, we featured a moving article by this same writer, William S. Boice, written during his days serving as a chaplain with U.S. troops in Europe during World War II. Read “Will You Say a Prayer for Me?”