Faith matters... How much does a prayer weigh?

Louise , 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.

Charlie , the grocer, scoffed at her and requested that she leave his store. Visualizing the family needs, she said: "Please, sir! I will bring you the money just as soon as I can." Charlie firmly told her he could not give her credit, as 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" - "OK," 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 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 your hands."

The grocer gave her the groceries that he had gathered and stood in stunned silence. Louise thanked him and left the store. It was some time later that the grocer discovered the scales were broken; therefore, only God knows how much a prayer weighs.

“Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.” -Psalm 90:2,4

Without faith nothing can be accomplished. It is not only a spiritual word but it is an experience in every facet of life, where anything worthwhile is done. There could be no business or banking, no true friendships or happy families without faith. Faith holds society together, and where there is no faith, it disintegrates.

There is no greater power than an idea that has come to fruition and is accepted and applied with a confident and enthusiastic faith. Under such conditions the impossible becomes possible, and while lesser mortals will stand aside and bemoan what might have been, the one who has combined an inspired vision with a living faith will move forward to accomplishment and victory.

Faith is not a mystical word that enables you to believe what is virtually unbelievable, but a force that enables you to look beyond the limits of mental horizons, human possibilities and permits you to see what others - without faith - cannot see.

Others may cry out: “It cannot be done” - but through the gift of faith you know it can be done and so you set out to do it. Then you do not listen to the defeatists, but keeping your vision bright you continue working towards the goal only you can see.

Experience has revealed that God honours such confidence, and as you press forward - often alone - He gives you the power to persevere and win through to victory… Faithfully ~ Stafford