The Power of Prayer

In a small, conservative midwestern town a sign went up in front of a small building under construction saying that it was to be a new bar/tavern. The local Baptist church started a campaign of prayer and petitions to block the bar from opening. Construction progressed steadily, but the week before it was to open, lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground.

The church folks were smug about this turn of affairs until the bar owner sued the church, saying that the church was either directly or indirectly responsible for his building being destroyed. The church vehemently denied that it had any responsibility at all in the matter.

At the hearing, the judge listened to the attorneys for both sides, then said, 'This is a most unusual case. Although no one has stated it this way, two things are obvious. What we have here are a bar owner who believes in the power of prayer, and an entire church congregation that doesn't. '