Who Will You Pray for Today?

      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 agreed 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, there was a woman who swam to his side of the island.  On the other side of the island, there was nothing.  Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes and 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.   
      “You are mistaken!” the voice rebuked him.  “He had only one prayer which I answered.  He prayed that all of 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.  Oftentimes you hear parents telling their children on their wedding day, “We have been praying for this day since before you were born.”  Prayer is powerful because our God is powerful.  Who will you pray for today?  

- Selected and adapted; via The Encourager, the weekly bulletin for the Calvert City Church of Christ, Calvert City, KY.  Lance Cordle preaches for the congregation.  He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.calvertchurchofchrist.com