The Power of Prayer

"Seven days without prayer makes one weak." ~ Allen E. Bartlett

The family I grew up with is a family that prays a lot. No, they are not saints! It's just that I grew up knowing that prayer can sometimes - move mountains. As soon as my kids could speak I taught them how to kneel down and put their palms together and utter a prayer. Just like what my mom did when I was still a child. A prayer when I wake up, a prayer when you have meals, a prayer when you go to school, and a prayer before bedtime. And then studying in an all-girls Catholic school well, you can just imagine how many prayer times we had back then.

When I grew up, prayer has comforted me when I was weak and down. It has made me strong and brave too in the midst of aggression and I have uttered a lot of prayers of thanks for all the blessings that came by in my life. This is another e-mail that I received a few days ago, that I loved reading. I hope you will love it too.

SPECIAL GROCERY LIST

Louise Redden, a poorly dressed lady with a look of defeat on her face, walked into a grocery store. She approached the owner of the store in a most humble manner and asked if he would let her charge a few groceries.

She softly explained that her husband was very ill and unable to work, they had seven children and they needed food.

John Longhouse, the grocer, scoffed at her and requested that she leave his store at once. Visualizing the family needs, she said: "Please, sir! I will bring you the money just as soon as I can." John told her he could not give her credit, since she did not have a charge account at his store.

Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard the conversation between the two. The customer walked forward and told the grocer that he would stand good for whatever she needed for her family. The grocer said in a very reluctant voice, "Do you have a grocery list?"

Louise replied, "Yes sir." " O.K" he said, "put your grocery list on the scales and whatever your grocery list weighs, I will give you that amount in groceries." Louise, hesitated a moment with a bowed head, then she reached into her purse and took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. She then laid the piece of paper on the scale carefully with her head still bowed.

The eyes of the grocer and the customer showed amazement when the scales went down and stayed down. The grocer, staring at the scales, turned slowly to the customer and said begrudgingly, "I can't believe it."

The customer smiled and the grocer started putting the groceries on the other side of the scales. The scale did not balance so he continued to put more and more groceries on them until the scales would hold no more.

The grocer stood there in utter disgust. Finally, he grabbed the piece of paper from the scales and looked at it with greater amazement. It was not a grocery list, it was a prayer, which said:
"Dear Lord, you know my needs and I am leaving this in you hands."

The grocer gave her the groceries that he had gathered and stood in stunned silence. Louise thanked him and left the store. The other customer handed a fifty-dollar bill to the grocer and said;
"It was worth every penny of it. Only God Knows how much a prayer weighs."

"God warms his hands at man's heart when he prays." ~ John Masefield