WHAT WE NEED WHEN WE NEED IT – Part 1 of 2

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”  (Philippians 4:6)

Few people have witnessed more miracles than George Müller (1805 – 1898).

Along with pastoring one church for sixty-six years, Müller established the Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, England. He cared for 10,024 orphans while establishing 117 schools for their education throughout England. Adjusted for inflation, George Müller raised $150 million dollars for those kingdom causes. This is an incredible sum of money by any standard, but what makes it even more remarkable is the fact that George Müller never asked anyone for anything – not a single penny. He made a covenant to ask only God. Müller figured that God knew exactly what he needed and when he needed it, and God could make provision for it. It is estimated that Müller experienced thirty thousand specific answers to prayer, as recorded in his journal. Time and time again, food would be dropped off on their doorstep right when they ran out, a donation was made right before a bill came due, or a plumber offered his services right when a problem needed to be fixed.

I live by an Oswald Chambers maxim: “Let God be as original with other people as He is with you.” So I’m not prescribing George Müller’s methodology across the board. I think it’s okay to verbalize a need or ask for help, but shouldn’t we put it to prayer first rather than last? And why do we take matters into our own hands when we can put them into the hands of God? Few things are harder than letting go and letting God, but that’s what George Müller modeled. And I can think of thirty thousand reasons to follow his example. 

-- Mark Batterson in “The Grave Robber: How Jesus Can Make Your Impossible Possible” 

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