The 4 Rewards of Seeking God in Prayer (Mathew 7:7)

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“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you“. (Mathew 7:7)

When Jesus said “ask,” “seek,” and “knock,” He’s not merely being repetitive—He’s revealing different progressions of intensity in prayer. “Asking” represents the initial step of bringing our requests before God (Mark 11:24). “Seeking” goes deeper, and it implies a dedicated search, an investment of time and energy (Jeremiah 29:13). “Knocking” represents persistence and determination like that of the widow of Luke 18:1-8.

This progression teaches us that prayer isn’t meant to be casual or halfhearted. Rather, it’s a divine invitation to commit to a progression in the intensity of our prayer life, moving from casualness to earnestness. When we do that, we begin to enjoy the four rewards below that come with deeper engagement with God through communion in prayer.  

Reward One: Securing the Lord’s Position on Controversial Issues

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5). In today’s world, we often face complex moral and ethical dilemmas that aren’t explicitly addressed in Scripture. How should we approach new technologies? What about challenging social issues?

For instance, Daniel faced the controversial issue of eating food offered to idols (Daniel 1:8-16). Through prayer and dedication, Daniel received clear direction from God . Similarly, the early church faced controversial issues regarding Gentile converts, and through prayer, they received clear guidance (Acts 15:1-29).

Reward Two: Divine Wisdom for Complex Situations

Some situations we face defy human wisdom and intelligence. Solomon understood this when he became king. Faced with the enormous task of leading God’s people, he didn’t ask for wealth or power—he asked for wisdom. “Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people” (2 Chronicles 1:10). God was so pleased with this request that He gave Solomon wisdom beyond measure.

The Apostle Paul emphasizes this in 1 Corinthians 2:6-7: “We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.”

Reward Three: Receiving Present Revelation

“He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed” (Isaiah 50:4). This isn’t just about physical sustenance but about receiving the current, proceeding word from God for our situation. As Jesus quoted in Matthew 4:4, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

This “proceeding word” or present revelation is crucial because while God’s written Word never changes, His specific direction for our lives needs to be fresh and relevant to our current circumstances. Think of how God led the Israelites through the wilderness with a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night (Exodus 13:21-22). The pillar was constant, but it moved according to God’s timing and purpose. The third reward of prayer relates to what Jesus called “daily bread” in Matthew 6:11.

Reward Four: Understanding God’s Mind

The fourth and perhaps most profound reward of prayer is gaining insight into God’s thoughts and perspectives about people, situations, and circumstances. This goes beyond just receiving direction—it’s about understanding God’s heart and mind on matters.

The Apostle Paul speaks of this incredible privilege in 1 Corinthians 2:16: “For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” Through prayer, we begin to see things as God sees them, which often differs dramatically from our human perspective.

For example, Samuel’s experience when choosing Israel’s new king. While humans looked at the outward appearance, God directed Samuel to David based on his heart (1 Samuel 16:7). This kind of divine perspective comes through intimate prayer communion with God.

In conclusion, these rewards aren’t earned through our own merit but are gifts from a loving Father who desires to communicate with His children. As James 4:8 promises, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” For this reason, let us approach prayer not as a religious duty but as a precious opportunity to connect with our Creator and receive His guidance, wisdom, and perspective for every aspect of our lives.

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