I read a great book on the life of George Muller of Bristol, a guy who ran several orphanages in the mid-nineteenth century in England. He was a man of extraordinary prayer. He believed that God was his provider. He was so convinced that God alone would supply the needs of the hundreds of orphans under his care, that he would not even mention the needs publicly where men would be able to supply the needs. In 1841, he would not even publish the annual report for the organization, knowing that people would read about the needs and cough up donations due to what they read.
- How often do we believe that the more people we have praying the more likely our prayers will be answered favorably?
- When we have needs, how often to we publicize those needs so that others with the gift of giving would have opportunity to respond?
- How often do we pray to God alone, in secret, in our inner chamber, and wait in humble anticipation for God to come through?
The story below is taken from George Muller of Bristol, by Arthur Pierson, Revell, pp. 180-182 (I did not even find a publishing date in the copy I have!). The introduction was written in 1899 by James Wright, Muller’s son-in-law and successor to the work of George Muller.
It was in December of this same year, 1841, that, in order to show how solely dependence was placed on a heavenly Provider, it was determined to delay for a while both the holding of any, public meeting and the printing of the Annual Report. Mr. Muller was confident that, though no word should be either spoken or printed about the work and its needs, the means would still be supplied. As a matter of fact the report of 1841-2 was thus postponed for five months; and so, in the midst of deep poverty and partly because of the very pressure of such need, another bold step was taken, which, like the cutting away of the ropes that held the life-boat, in that Mediterranean shipwreck, threw Mr. Muller, and all that were with him in the work, more completely on the promise and the providence of God.
It might be inferred that, where such a decision was made, the Lord would make haste to reward at once such courageous confidence. And yet, so mysterious are His ways, that never, up to that time, had Mr. Muller’s faith been tried so sharply as between December 12, 1841, and April 12, 1842. During these four months, again, it was as though God were saying, “I will now see whether indeed you truly lean on Me and look to Me.” At any time during this trial, Mr. Muller might have changed his course, holding the public meeting and publishing the report, for, outside the few who were in his councils, no one knew of the determination, and in fact many children of God, looking for the usual year’s journal of ‘The Lord’s Dealings,’ were surprised at conclusion conscientiously reached was, for the glory of the Lord, as steadfastly pursued, and again Jehovah-Jireh revealed His faithfulness.
During this four months, on March 9, 1842, the need was so extreme that, had no help come, the work could not have gone on. But, on that day, from a brother living near Dublin, ten pounds came: and the hand of the Lord clearly appeared in this gift, for when the post had already come and no letter had come with it, there was a strong confidence suggested to Mr. Muller’s mind that deliverance was at hand; and so it proved, for presently the letter was brought to him, having been delivered at one of the other houses. During this same month, it was necessary once to delay dinner for about a half-hour, because of a lack of supplies. Such a postponement had scarcely ever been known before, and very rarely was it repeated in the entire after-history of the work, though thousands of mouths had to be daily fed.
In the spring of 1843, Mr. Muller felt led to open a fourth orphan house, the third having been opened nearly six years before. This step was taken with his uniform conscientiousness, deliberation, and prayerfulness. He had seen many reasons for such enlargement of the work, but he had said nothing about the matter even to his beloved wife. Day by day he waited on God in prayer, preferring to take counsel only of Him, lest he might do something in haste, move in advance of clear leading, or be biased unduly by human judgment.
Unexpected obstacles interfered with his securing the premises which had already been offered and found suitable; but he was in no way ‘discomforted.’ The burden of his prayer was, “Lord, if Thou hast no need of another orphan house, I have none”; and he rightly judged that the calm deliberation with which he had set about the whole matter, and the unbroken peace with which he met new hindrances, were proofs that he was following the guidance of God and not the motions of self-will.
As the public meeting and the publication of the Annual Report had been purposely postponed to show that no undue dependence was placed even on indirect appeals to man, much special prayer went up to God, that, before July 15, 1844, when the public meeting was to be held, He would so richly supply all need that it might clearly appear that, notwithstanding these lawful means of informing His servants concerning the work had for a time not been used, the prayer of faith had drawn down help from above. As the financial year had closed in May, it would be more than two years since the previous report had been made to the public.
George Muller was jealous for the Lord God of hosts. He desired that “even the shadow of ground might be cut off for persons to say, ‘They cannot get any more while, during the whole progress of the work, he desired to stand with his Master, without heeding either the favourable or unfavourable judgments of men, he felt strongly that God would be much honoured and glorified as the prayer-hearing God if, before the public had been at all apprised of the situation, an ample supply might be given. In such case, instead of appearing to ask aid of men, he and his associates would be able to witness to the church and the world, God’s faithfulness, and offer Him the praise of joyful and thankful hearts. As he had asked, so was it done unto him. Money and other supplies came in, and, on the day before the accounts were closed, such liberal gifts, that there was a surplus of over twenty pounds for the whole work.
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