Answered 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,
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, 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.

My prayer for you today is that all your prayers
are answered. Be blessed.

"What you do for others is more important than what you do for yourself"