Prayer Legacy

 

GEORGE MUELLER'S PRAYER LEGACY

January 22, 1992

In 1836 in Bristol, England, opened an Orphanage with, I believe, 42 children who had neither father or mother. Later Mr. Mueller was able to open several other homes for orphans, and greatly expand the numbers of children he served, the last house holding 700 orphans.

What was unique about these orphanages, however, was the way they were funded and supplied. Mr. Mueller stated that his third aim was the bodily welfare of the children, but higher than that, he sought their spiritual welfare, that they should know Jesus Christ as Savior. But he declared that his chief aim was the glory of God. He wrote:

"I ... 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 PRAYER STILL."

[Read one or two instances of answered prayer:] Read Pages 33-37, starting with the last sentence on page 32: How to be effective in prayer. Conclude with George Mueller's " How to Ascertain the Will of God:"

  1. "I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the trouble with people is just here. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord's will, whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is.
  2. Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression. If so, I make myself liable to great delusions.
  3. I seek the Will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also. If the Holy Ghost guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them.
  4. Next I take into account providential circumstances. These often plainly indicate God's Will in connection with His Word and Spirit.
  5. I ask God in prayer to reveal His Will to me aright.
  6. Thus, through prayer to God, the study of the Word, and reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions, I proceed accordingly. In trivial matters, and in transactions involving the most important issues, I have found this method always effective."

Focus: Psalm

Prayer Requests: