Bible Verses About Communion (KJV) With a Prayer
Bible verses about communion from the King James Version, from the Last Supper to John 6 and 1 Corinthians, with a short reflection and a prayer.
A Prayer Before Communion
Communion, also called the Eucharist or the Lord's Supper, goes back to the night before Jesus died. He took bread and a cup, gave thanks, and told His disciples to do this in remembrance of Him. These verses follow that story through the Gospels and the letters of Paul.
A few things to notice as you read:
It begins with thanks. The word Eucharist means thanksgiving, and each account says Jesus gave thanks before He broke the bread.
It is more than a memory. Paul calls the cup "the communion of the blood of Christ" and the bread "the communion of the body of Christ." Catholics believe that in the Mass the bread and wine truly become His Body and Blood, which is why John 6 is so often read alongside the Last Supper.
It joins us to one another. "We being many are one bread, and one body." Receiving communion is personal, but it is never private.
It calls for reverence. Paul asks us to examine ourselves first. For Catholics that means preparing the heart, and going to confession when we are conscious of serious sin.
Lord Jesus, You are the bread of life. I come to You hungry, and I am grateful that You have set a table for me.
Quiet my mind and prepare my heart. Forgive what I have done wrong, and make me ready to receive You with reverence and with love. Help me forget the noise of the day, if only for these few moments.
Bind me closer to everyone who shares this one bread. Where we are divided, heal us. Where we are weary, strengthen us. And when I leave this place, help me carry You into the world, in the way I speak, serve and forgive. Amen.
Scripture to Pray With
And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Matthew 26:26-28 (KJV)
And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
Luke 22:19-20 (KJV)
And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
Luke 24:30-31 (KJV)
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
John 6:35 (KJV)
I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
John 6:51 (KJV)
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
John 6:53-56 (KJV)
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Acts 2:42 (KJV)
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
1 Corinthians 10:16-17 (KJV)
For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (KJV)
But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
1 Corinthians 11:28-29 (KJV)
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Bible say about communion?
The Bible records Jesus giving bread and wine to His disciples at the Last Supper (Matthew 26, Luke 22) and Paul teaching about it in 1 Corinthians 10 and 11.
Where in the Bible is communion instituted?
In Matthew 26:26-28 and Luke 22:19-20. Paul repeats the account in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.
What does 1 Corinthians 11:28 mean about examining yourself?
Paul asks believers to reflect on their hearts before receiving. Catholics understand this as preparing with prayer and confession if there is serious sin.
What is the connection between communion and John 6?
In John 6, Jesus calls Himself the bread of life and speaks of eating His flesh and drinking His blood. Catholics see this as teaching the real presence in the Eucharist.
Is communion the same as the Eucharist?
In Catholic use, yes. Holy Communion is receiving the Eucharist at Mass. Other Christians use the word for the Lord's Supper with differing beliefs about what it means.
Last updated 2026-10-24