George Müller of Bristol
George Müller
George Müller was a native German (a Prussian). He was born in Kroppenstaedt on September 27, 1805 and lived almost the entire nineteenth century.
George Müller died March 10, 1898 at the age of 92. He saw the great awakening of 1859 which he said “led to the conversion of hundreds of thousands.” He did follow up work for D. L. Moody, preached for Charles Spurgeon, and inspired the missionary faith of Hudson Taylor.
I could leave his story at that, but on Valentine’s Sunday at church, our pastor told of his remarkable faith, and I am compelled to share his account of this man’s life.
He and his wife cared for over 10,000 orphans.
He was well known for providing an education for these children without parents, to the point that it affected the industry in the area. He was part of the system that came up with an educational program that taught a trade – they are called apprenticeships today.
He also established 117 schools which offered a Christian education for over 120,00o children, of course,
who couldn’t pay.
He was a man of prayer.
When building a dormitory for 2000 orphans, he did the unimaginable, he asked an architect to draw up the plans and do it for nothing. The architect did it. Why? Because he saw that is how George did life.
One time, at the orphanage, they were praying for their daily provision. While the hungry children were sitting waiting for their breakfast, they didn’t know there was no breakfast.
No matter, George prayed, “Lord bless this food we are about to partake.”
At that very moment a baker knocked at the door asking them to take a rather large load of bread. While this was going on, a milk cart broke down nearby, and the driver asked them to take what was a huge load of milk off his hands.
That was Monday.
George lived moment by moment in prayer.
Determining How God Works in Our Own Lives and How He Guides Us
George’s formula:
- Seek in the beginning to get my heart in such a state that it has no will of its own. In other words, I have no agenda. Nine tenths of troubles are over when our hearts are ready to do His will, whatever it may be.
- Having done this, I do not leave the result to a feeling.
- Through the connection with the Word, according to the scripture. If left to the spirit alone, without the word, that could lead to a wrong direction.
- I take into account providential circumstances. (Such as the knock on the door of the baker).
- Ready for the Lord to reveal His will.
- Through prayer, study of the Word, and reflection, I come to a deliberate judgement according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is at peace after 2 or 3 more petitions I proceed accordingly.
In trivial matters I have found this method most effective.
For George Müller, this worked.
More about George Müller HERE
and HERE
