The Tavern Keeper Who Believed in Prayer

The story is told of a small town in which there were no liquor stores. Eventually, however, a nightclub was built right on Main St.

 Members of one of the churches in the area were so disturbed that they conducted several all night prayer meetings, and asked the Lord to burn down that den of iniquity. Lightning struck the tavern a short time later, and it was completely destroyed by fire.

The owner, knowing how the church people had prayed for his tavern to be destroyed, sued them for damages. His attorney claimed that their prayers had caused the loss.

 The congregation, on the other hand, hired a lawyer and fought the charges.

 After much deliberation, the judge declared, “ It’s the opinion of the court that wherever the guilt may lie, the tavern keeper is the one who really believes in the power of prayer, while the church members do not.”

 We smile at the story, but it is surely a great tragedy that much of our praying is devoid of genuine faith and trust in God.

Mark 11: 22-24   And Jesus answered saying to them, “Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted to him. Therefore I say to you, all things which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted to you.”