Prayer: Believing and Receiving

Does God answer prayers? Will God provide for all of our needs? In my lifetime I have seen many answered prayers, in my life and in others. Glory be to God!

One of my inspirations in the English Christian George Mueller, Prussian born British evangelist and philantropsit. Mueller was a real man of faith who lived in the 19th century, and he certainly believed that God answered prayer! I received this little story in a recent email:

Believing is one thing. Receiving is another. George Mueller knew that. Did God REALLY come through for him? Let's take a look at some of his experiences, then you can draw your OWN conclusions!

During his lifetime, George Muller founded several orphanages, often supporting and running as many as three at any one time. But running three orphanages that provided homes for more than 2000 orphans isn't an easy task to accomplish when there aren't any regular funds! After serving dinner at one of his orphanages one evening, George realized that there was no food for the next day's breakfast and no money to buy any. This didn't shake him, however. When he retired for the night, he conveyed his needs to his Heavenly Father, and then he went to sleep. He knew God would provide on time. Early the next morning, a gentleman knocked on the door and offered a donation that supplied for all of their needs.

Another time when there was no breakfast for the children, George went for an early morning walk to talk it over with God. He was so caught up in discussing his needs with the One who can help that he didn't notice when he took a wrong turn. Soon he met an old acquaintance on the street. Though George never once hinted that he had financial needs, the friend offered him five pounds-enough money to provide adequate food for the orphanage for the next few days.

One day a lady offered George a small donation: 2 pennies. She was unaware that the orphanage was lacking a penny to buy bread. Later, when facing the dilemma of paying for milk, the money arrived just minutes before the milkman!

Here is George's own description of another time when there was no food for the children: "Our bread was hardly enough for the day. After dinner, when I returned thanks, I asked Him to give us our daily bread, meaning literally that He would send us bread for the evening. While I was praying there was a knock at the door of the room. After I had concluded a poor sister came in and brought us some of her dinner, and from another poor sister five shillings. In the afternoon she also brought us a large loaf. Thus the Lord not only gave us bread but also money."

On another occasion when he was praying about not having enough money, George reported: "The instant that I got up from my knees, a brother gave me one pound which had been taken out of the chapel box."

A coincidence? If it had only happened once, it might could be considered one; but this type of thing happened over and over again. George Mueller noticed that as the numbers of orphans he was taking care of increased, the Lord's provisions also increased. One kept pace with the other. God always answered George's prayers with just the right amount of food or money, never too much, never too little. And, no meal fed to the orphans was ever more than 30 minutes late. In fact, during his lifetime, George received 7½ million U.S. dollars in answer to his prayers!

There are some who would say that God's provisions are only reserved for some special kind of faith-filled religious people. Here is George Mueller's reply to this kind of remark: "Let not Satan deceive you in making you think you could not have the same faith, but that it is only for persons situated as I am. When I lose such a thing as a key, I ask the Lord to direct me to it, and I look for an answer to my prayer; when a person with whom I have an appointment does not come, I ask the Lord to be pleased to hasten him to me, and I look for an answer. Thus in all my temporal and spiritual concerns, I pray to the Lord and expect an answer to my requests; and may you do the same?"

Friend, no matter what the need is that you are facing, God WILL provide. Depending on God is an awesome adventure! No one who does so has ever been disappointed. George Muller could rightfully conclude: "Now the truth is whilst we have not had even as much as a single penny left, or so as to have the last bread on the table, and not as much money as was needed to buy another loaf, yet never have we had to sit down to a meal without our good Lord having provided nourishing food for us. I am bound to state this, and I do it with pleasure. If I had to choose this day again as to the way of living, the Lord giving me grace, I would not choose differently."

Do you trust in the faithfulness of God? Why not try doing so today?

John 14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." NIV