After I became a Christian, I was in an Anglican Church for 10 years of my life. Bi-monthly we will have our holy communion, a act for us to remember the Lord's death as we eat the "bread" and drink the "cup". The Pastor presiding the Holy Communion will read from the book of common prayer and the congregation will respond at some points. I will always remember the "Prayer of Humble Access", a prayer all of us pray before we eat the "bread" and drink from the "cup"
It goes like this:
Over the years, I've memorized this prayer so that I do not just recite it but to pray it with all my heart to remind myself of my unworthiness before the Lord each time I come to His table and to be comforted that He is gracious and His nature is always to have mercy.
Some people do not agree with the sentence "...not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table." citing that we are in the new covenant and not aliens anymore. I beg to differ because this prayer is a mere expression of unworthiness before the Lord and has no effect on our position in Christ.
Whenever I think of this prayer and pray this prayer, I am reminded of my own unworthiness and have nothing to brag about except about God who has loved and rescued me.
It goes like this:
"We do not presume to come to this your table merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in your manifold and great mercies we are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table. But You are the same Lord, whose nature is always to have mercy. Grant us therefore gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of your dear Son Jesus Christ and to drink his blood, that we may evermore dwell in Him and He in us. Amen"
Over the years, I've memorized this prayer so that I do not just recite it but to pray it with all my heart to remind myself of my unworthiness before the Lord each time I come to His table and to be comforted that He is gracious and His nature is always to have mercy.
Some people do not agree with the sentence "...not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table." citing that we are in the new covenant and not aliens anymore. I beg to differ because this prayer is a mere expression of unworthiness before the Lord and has no effect on our position in Christ.
Whenever I think of this prayer and pray this prayer, I am reminded of my own unworthiness and have nothing to brag about except about God who has loved and rescued me.
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