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, agreed
that they had no other recourse but to pray to God.
However, to determine whose prayers should be most
effective, 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 and boarded the ship with his wife.
Since none of the other man’s prayers had been answered,
he considered him unworthy to receive God's blessings, so he decided to leave
the second man on the island.
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 a result of my faith and prayers,
since I was the one who prayed for them," the first man answered.
"His prayers were all unanswered and so I figured he does not deserve
anything."
"You are sorely mistaken, and are in great debt to
him.”
“How’s that?”, the first man asked.
”It was his great faith that invoked the blessings, and
he prayed that all your prayers might be answered."
Are our blessings the fruits of our prayers and work
alone? Or of those of another praying for us? What (and who) are you praying
for?
With obedience come blessings. May all your righteous
prayers be answered!
