Teaching · Personal Essay

Why I Receive Communion Regularly

Meeting with Christ at His Table

By Pastor Nicole Washington

1 Corinthians 11:23–26·8 min read

I want to tell you about something that's become as essential to my spiritual life as prayer.

Over the past years, I've made Communion a regular practice. Not because someone told me I had to. Not because my church requires it. But because I discovered something: when I receive Communion regularly, everything changes.

My faith gets stronger. My peace deepens. My sense of God's presence becomes more real.

I'm not here to tell you that you have to receive Communion regularly. Grace doesn't work through obligation. It works through invitation.

But I want to invite you into what I've discovered. I want to share why I've made this a rhythm in my life. And I want to show you how regular Communion can transform your relationship with Jesus.

Because here's what I know: there's a difference between knowing something is true and experiencing it to be true. And Communion — regular Communion — is how I move from knowing about Jesus to actually encountering Him.

Part One: The Difference Between Occasional and Regular

What I Used to Do

For most of my Christian life, I received Communion when my church offered it. Monthly, usually. Sometimes less frequently.

I believed in Communion. I understood its meaning. I respected it.

But I wasn't experiencing the fullness of what it could be.

It was like having a meal once a month and wondering why I wasn't getting stronger. You need daily nourishment. You need regular food. One meal a month isn't enough to sustain your body.

The same is true spiritually.

What Changed

About a decade ago, I started receiving Communion weekly. Then I started receiving it more frequently — sometimes multiple times a week.

And something shifted.

It wasn't dramatic. It wasn't like lightning struck. It was gradual. Subtle. But profound.

My faith deepened.

Not because the theology changed. The theology was always the same. But because I was encountering Jesus regularly at His table, my faith moved from my head to my heart.

My peace increased.

When I was anxious or worried, Communion would settle me. It would remind me that Jesus is present. That I'm loved. That I'm not alone.

My spiritual sensitivity grew.

I started noticing God's presence more in my daily life. I started hearing the Holy Spirit more clearly. I started experiencing answered prayers more visibly.

It's like the difference between visiting a friend occasionally and living near them. When you see them regularly, your relationship becomes deeper. You know them better. You trust them more. You experience their presence in a more consistent way.

That's what regular Communion has done for me.

This Is My Story, Not a Rule

I want to be clear: this is my personal testimony. Some people receive Communion monthly and have incredibly deep faith. Some people receive it daily. Both are valid. I'm inviting you to consider: What if regular Communion could deepen your faith, transform your peace, and strengthen your connection to Jesus? Isn't that worth exploring?

Part Two: Remembering Christ More Deeply

What It Means to Remember

When Jesus said, "Do this in remembrance of me," He didn't just mean recall a fact from the past.

The Greek word for remembrance is anamnesis. It doesn't just mean "think back to." It means "make present again." It means to bring something from the past into the present moment.

When you receive Communion, you're not just remembering that Jesus died 2,000 years ago. You're making His death present. You're bringing it into your now.

Regular Remembrance

When I receive Communion regularly, my remembrance deepens.

Every time I hold the bread, I remember: Jesus's body was broken for me. Not in a distant, historical sense. But for me. Right now. In this moment.

Every time I hold the cup, I remember: Jesus's blood was shed for my forgiveness. Not as a nice story. But as a transaction that affects me personally, right now.

The more frequently I do this, the more real it becomes. The more I'm not just thinking about the Cross. I'm experiencing what the Cross means for my life today.

It's like the difference between reading about someone you love and actually spending time with them. Reading about them might stir your emotions. But being with them is transformative.

Regular Communion is spending time with Jesus at what He accomplished on the Cross.

Part Three: Receiving God's Grace More Fully

What Grace Actually Means

Grace is God's unmerited favor. It's receiving what you don't deserve. It's getting blessed even though you haven't earned it.

Most of us understand grace intellectually. We know we're saved by grace, not by works. We know we're forgiven by grace.

But experiencing grace is different from understanding grace.

How Regular Communion Opens You to Grace

When you receive Communion regularly, you create a rhythm of receiving grace.

You come to the table. You acknowledge: "I don't deserve this. But Jesus gives it to me anyway."

It humbles you.

Every time you receive Communion, you acknowledge you need a Savior. You didn't save yourself. You can't save yourself. You're dependent on Jesus.

It reassures you.

When you feel guilty or unworthy, Communion reminds you: the blood of Jesus has already covered that sin. You're forgiven. You're clean.

It fills you.

Grace isn't just the absence of condemnation. Grace is also the presence of blessing. When you receive Communion, you're receiving the fullness of what Jesus purchased.

Grace Through Communion

Every time you approach the table, you're not proving how good you are. You're declaring how good Jesus is. And that posture — receiving instead of earning — is what opens your spirit to transformation.

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