Answers to Prayer

 

George F. Mueller
1805 - 1898
 

Here is your assignment for life: Renounce your regular salary and live on unsolicited gifts. Start five orphanages that will eventually house over 10,000 children. Establish 117 schools and travel over 200,000 miles evangelizing unreached parts of the world for Christ pre-air flight. In your travels distribute over 285,000 Bibles, 1,460,000 New Testaments and over 240,000 evangelical tracts. Remember, you cannot advertise a need for funds or ask people to support you. Are you ready to get started?

George Mueller (1805-1898), Evangelist and Director of Ashley Down orphanages in Bristol, England accepted that challenge. His two passions in life were to convert people to a relationship with Christ and to care for the “dear orphans.”

First Orphan-House, Wilson Street
Opened April 11, 1836

On December 5, 1835, while reading his Bible and praying, God impressed Psalm 81:10 on George’s mind. He pondered the meaning of the verse and realized that he had never asked God for anything regarding the orphan-house except to know His will regarding the establishment of it. George then fell to his knees and started praying for the provision of all articles that were needed to open an orphanage: a house or building, money, furniture, clothes, caregivers, and more. By December 13^th, God had moved on the hearts of people and the needs were well on the way to being provided.

George Mueller’s book, Answers to Prayer, (2013, Lumin Christian Products), contains excerpts from his many journals. He recorded every pound, schilling, pence and miracle that God brought to the ministry and the amazing ways that it came. Many times, they were down to their last coin with not enough to feed the children their next meal – but God always came through for them. In all the years of this ministry, the children never lacked food, clothing, care, or education. During the times when supplies were thin, George devoted himself to fervent prayer and Bible study, often times interrupted by someone at the door with the means needed to carry on the work for that day or for several days.

Orphan-House No. 3

Why would a man do life the way George Mueller chose to? Listen to one of his journal entries: “I certainly did from my heart desire to be used by God to benefit the bodies of poor children, bereaved of both parents, and seek in other respects, with the help of God, to do them good for this life; I also particularly longed to be used by God in getting the dear orphans trained up in the fear of God; but still, the first and primary object of the work was, and still is, that God might be magnified by the fact, that the orphans under my care are provided with all they need, only by prayer and faith without anyone being asked by me or my fellow laborers whereby it may be seen that God is FAITHFUL STILL, and HEARS PRAYERS STILL.”

What could God accomplish in our world today if faithful Christians lived as though they believed that God is faithful and He really does hear and answer prayer? Does our lukewarm belief bind God’s hands and prevent us from experiencing the miracles He wants to lavish on us? I sense that most of us have only given ourselves over to the very tip of the iceberg of the blessings of faith, prayer and Bible study. This book has certainly struck a cord in my heart that will require much time alone with God.

I’m going out with joy today, knowing that God loves me, warts and all-

Cathy