Cheap Reward?

The last of three posts on "When you pray, go into your room".

Key Scripture Passage
"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 6:6 NIV

Reflection
Have you ever heard the story of Joseph Kratzle?  He was a Chicago service elevator operator in an apartment house and recovered two checks for $114,000 which had been lost by a tenant.  It wasn't like he just found the checks on the floor of the elevator - he spent hours searching through fourteen trash bags and garbage cans after hearing from a tenant that the checks had been lost.  You can imagine the reward Joseph received from the tenant.  Or can you?  He actually received a fifteen cent tip and an offer to put iodine on the cuts on his hands resulting from his search.  Joseph accepted the fifteen cents.  He declined the offer of first aid and administered his own treatment when he returned to the basement from the tenant's apartment.

Jesus tells us when we go into this room alone with God and pray, we will be rewarded.  Does the limited frequency with which we go into that room alone with God suggest we consider the reward akin to Joseph Kratzle's?

There is no better way to experience the kingdom of heaven on earth than to spend time alone with God in that room.  From such times we gain the reward of His peace, His power, and His provision.  I like the way The Message addresses this in Philippians 4:6-7:  "Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." 

Not only does going into the room alone with God allow us to experience more of the kingdom of heaven on earth, it allows us to join the Holy Spirit in extending the kingdom of heaven on earth as well.  As we spend time alone with God, we come to share His heart for the materially poor and the oppressed, and we are better able to tap into His power to break through the gates of hell that so often enchain the poor.

The reward Jesus is referring to is far greater than Joseph Kratzle could have ever imagined receiving.  Would you like to have the reward of experiencing and extending more of the kingdom of heaven on earth?  Then go into your room alone with God as often as you possibly can.

Questions to Consider
When's the last time you went into the room alone with God?  What was your reward?

Action Step for the Week
Set aside 30 minutes in your week ahead to be alone with God.  Thereafter, identify the reward of having done so.