“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
– Matthew 6:5,6
Today, let’s dive into the importance of rewards. The notion of doing good with the desire of being rewarded appears throughout Scripture, particularly in the Sermon on the Mount. Unlike modern Western culture, Jews at the time of the Bible’s authoring fully embraced the power of receiving gifts from God as motivation to do the right thing, especially when it came to relating to Him and doing things in His name. Surprisingly, secrecy is consistently rewarded in the Bible. To put it another way, God’s people must sacrifice the glory of public acclaim and compliments in exchange for the greater gift of being rewarded by Him, both now and in the future. Secret prayer is answered, and a secret giving is rewarded with an even greater bounty of blessings, both physically and spiritually. Friend, your spiritual life soars and takes on new richness and depth when you give, pray, and live purely for the glory of God, putting aside your need for others’ favor. Because Jesus is the giver of every good and perfect gift, you may rest assured that He will reward you, and your heart will be filled with joy as a result of His love for you! No one can offer more than God, and the abundant blessing you receive when you do good things in private far transcends the fleeting pleasure of pleasing others. I promise you will get to know your Heavenly Father on a deeper and more intimate level than ever before if you practice communicating with Him in secret. Isn’t that fantastic news? |
Prayer
Jesus, help me as I learn to communicate with you in secret. I recognize that you are my rewarder, and I want to focus my heart solely on you, knowing that you will honor my request.
Reflection
How do you feel about being rewarded for relating and giving to God?
If you’re unable to attend your local church or need some additional weekly inspiration, be sure to tune into Hour of Power every Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. PT on TBN or watch online at hourofpower.org/episode.
