"How Much Does a Prayer Weigh?"
"And all things you ask in prayer,
believing, you shall receive." Matthew 21:22
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. Visualizing what her family needed, 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, 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 pay for whatever she
needed for her family.
The grocer reluctantly asked Louis, "Do you have a grocery list?
Louise replied "Yes sir."
"Okay," 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, 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, but 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 placed on the scales and stood in stunned silence.
Louise thanked him and left the store. The customer handed John a fifty-dollar bill
and said, "It was worth every penny of it!"
Sometime later, John Longhouse discovered the scales were broken; therefore, only God
knows how much a prayer weighs.
When passing this item on to others, please include the
following information:
Thank you!
