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, the second man has 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 live the island. In the morning, he found
a ship docked at his side on 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 anything 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."
 

As seen in this light, it becomes easier for us to share the blessings of prayer, whether
these blessings be material or moral. For all we know, these are not the fruits of our
prayers alone, but those of another person secretly praying for us.