BLESSED REWARD

" Great Is Your Reward "

Your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. — Matthew 6:4

Many businesses have “points programs” that offer rewards to loyal customers.

You can stack up these rewards by using their companies’ services, like eating at local restaurants,

staying at certain hotels, or flying on particular airlines.

Choosing to spend your money this way makes a lot of sense.

God has a rewards program as well.

Jesus often spoke of His desire to reward us for loyally serving Him.

When we are persecuted for His sake, for example,

He says to “ rejoice . . . for great is your reward in heaven ” (Matt. 5:12).

In contrast to the Pharisees’ pious habit of giving, praying, and fasting in public,

Jesus instructed us to do these things privately, because

“your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly” (6:4,6,18).

When it comes to living for Jesus, faithfulness never ultimately puts your life in a deficit position,

regardless of what it costs.

But we don’t serve Jesus for the rewards.

When He died for us on the cross, He did far more for us than we deserve.

Loyalty to Him is an act of worship that expresses our loving gratitude for His love toward us.

In return, He delights to encourage us with the assurance that ultimately His rewards

will outweigh whatever we have given up for Him.

Live for Jesus—regardless of the cost.

Our service for the Lord will be Rewarded one day openly,
By God who sees in secrecy All sacrifice for Him.

What is done for Christ in this life will be rewarded in the life to come.

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" Power of Prayer "

In a small Texas town, a new tavern business started constructing a building in which

to open up a bar.

The local Baptist church began a campaign to block the bar from opening

with petitions and prayers.

Work progressed, however right up until the week before opening,

when lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground.

The church folks were rather smug in their outlook until the bar owner sued the church

on the grounds that the church was ultimately responsible for the destruction of his building,

either through direct or indirect actions or means.

The church vehemently denied all responsibility or

any connection to the building's demise in its reply to the court.

As the case made its way into court, the judge looked over the paperwork.

At the hearing judge commented;

" I don't know how I am going to decide this, but it appears from the paperwork

that we have a bar owner who believes in the power of prayer,

and an entire church congregation that doesn't."

My heart’s desire is that we might know the truth about the power of prayer!

So often we think “well, the least I can do is pray”

when in reality THE MOST YOU CAN DO IS PRAY.

Through your own personal encounters with prayer I want you to know its power:

power to change, power to heal, power to convict,

power to release,

power to bring down and rise up,

power to completely grant the petition and change the petitioner.

Psalm 34:4 says;

I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.

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