Prayer

A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and
only two of the men on it were able to swim to a
small, desert like island. The two survivors, not
knowing what else to do, agree that they had no other
recourse but to pray to God.

However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful,
they agreed to divide the territory between them and
stay on opposite sides of the island.

The first thing they prayed for was food. The next
morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his
side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit.
The other man's parcel of land remained barren.

After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided
to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was
wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to
his side of the land. On the other side of the
island, there was nothing.

Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more
food. The next day, like magic, all of these were
given to him. However, the second man still had
nothing.

Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he
and his wife could leave the island. In the morning,
he found a ship docked at his side of the island. The
first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided
to leave the second man on the island. He considered
the other man unworthy to receive God's blessings,
since none of his prayers had been answered.

As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a
voice from heaven booming, "Why are you leaving your
companion on the island?"

"My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who
prayed for them," the first man answered. "His
prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve
anything."

"You are mistaken!" the voice rebuked him. "He had
only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that,
you would not have received any of my blessings."

"Tell me," the first man asked the voice, "what did he
pray for that I should owe him anything?"

"He prayed that all your prayers be answered."

For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of
our prayers alone, but those of another praying for
us.

When Jesus died on the cross he was thinking of you!