George Müller
FAMOUS STORIES
God Brought a Chair in Answer to Prayer
It was my happiness to cross the Atlantic in the company of this dear brother on the steamship Sardinian, from Quebec to Liverpool, in June, 1880.
I met Mr. Müller in the express office the morning of sailing, about half an hour before the tender was to take the passengers to the ship. He asked of the agent if a deck chair had arrived for him from New York. He was answered, No, and told that it could not possibly come in time for the steamer. I had with me a chair I had just purchased and told Mr. Müller of the place near by, where I had obtained it, and suggested that as but a few moments remained he had better buy one at once.
His reply was, "No, my brother, Our Heavenly Father will send the chair from New York. It is one used by Mrs. Miller, as we came over, and left in New York when we landed. I wrote ten days ago to a brother who promised to see it forwarded here last week. He has not been prompt as I would have desired, but I am sure Our Heavenly Father will send the chair. Mrs. Müller is very sick upon the sea, and has particularly desired to have this same chair, and not finding it here yesterday when we arrived, as we expected, we have made special prayer that Our Heavenly Father would be pleased to provide it for us, and we will trust Him to do so." As this dear man of God went peacefully on board the tender, running the risk of Mrs. Müller making the voyage without a chair, when for a couple of dollars she could have been provided for, I confess I feared Mr. Müller was carrying his faith principles too far and not acting wisely.
I was kept at the express office ten minutes after Mr. Müller left. Just as I started to hurry to the wharf a team drove up the street, and on top of a load just arrived from New York, was Mr. Müller's chair! It was sent at once to the tender and placed in my hands to take to Mr. Müller (the Lord having a lesson for me) just as the boat was leaving the dock. I found Mr. and Mrs. Müller in a retired spot on one side of the tender and handed him the chair. He took it with the happy, pleased expression of a child who has just received a kindness deeply appreciated, and reverently removing his hat and folding his hands over it, he thanked his Heavenly Father for sending the chair. "In everything by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known unto God.” "Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you."
Taken from the Wonders of Prayer by Daniel W. Whittle
God Brought the South Wind to Help Boiler Repair
Towards the end of November 1857, I was most unexpectedly informed that the boiler of our heating apparatus at the new Orphan House, No. 1, leaked very considerably, so that it was impossible to go through the winter with such a leak. Our heating apparatus consists of a large cylinder boiler, inside of which the fire is kept, and with which boiler the water pipes, which warm the rooms, are connected. Hot air is also connected with this apparatus. This now was my position. The boiler had been considered unsuited for the work of the winter; the having had ground to suspect its being worn out, and not to have done anything towards its being replaced by a new one, and to have said I will trust in God regarding it, would be careless presumption, but not faith in God. It would be the counterfeit of faith.
The boiler is entirely surrounded by brickwork; its state, therefore, could not be known without taking down the brickwork; this, if needless, would be rather injurious to the boiler than otherwise; and as, year after year, for eight winters, we had had no difficulty in this way, we had not anticipated it now. But suddenly and most unexpectedly, at the commencement of the winter, this difficulty occurred. What then was to be done? For the children, especially the younger infants, I felt deeply concerned that they might not suffer through want of warmth. But how were we to obtain warmth? The introduction of a new boiler would, in all probability, take many weeks. The repairing of the boiler was a questionable matter, on account of the greatness of the leak; but, if not, nothing could be said of it, till the brick-chamber in which the boiler, with Hazard’s patent heating apparatus, is enclosed, was, at least in part, removed; but that would, at least as far as we could judge, take days, and what was to be done in the mean time to find warm rooms for three hundred children? It naturally occurred to me to introduce temporary gas stoves, but, on further weighing the matter, it was found that we should be unable to heat our very large rooms with gas except we had very many stoves, which we could not introduce, as we had not a sufficient quantity of gas to spare from our lighting apparatus. Moreover, for each of these stoves we needed a small chimney, to carry off the impure air. This mode of heating, therefore, though applicable to a hall, a staircase, or a shop, would not suit our purposes. I also thought of the temporary introduction of Arnott’s stoves; but they would be unsuitable, as we needed chimneys, long chimneys, for them, as they would have been of a temporary kind, and therefore must go out of the windows. On this account, the uncertainty of its answering in our case, the disfigurement of the rooms almost permanently, led me to see it needful to give up this plan also. But what was to be done? Gladly would I have paid one hundred pounds if thereby the difficulty could have been overcome, and the children not be exposed to suffer for many days from being in cold rooms. At last I determined on falling entirely into the hands of God, who is very merciful and of tender compassion, and I decided on having, at all events, the brick chamber opened, to see the extent of the damage, and to see whether the boiler might be repaired, so as to carry us through the winter. The day was fixed when the workmen were to come, and all the necessary arrangements were made. The fire, of course, had to be let out while the repairs were going on. But now see. After the day was fixed for the repairs, a bleak north wind set in. It began to blow either on Thursday or Friday before the Wednesday afternoon when the fire was to be let out. Now came the first really cold weather which we had in the beginning of last winter, during the first days of December. What was to be done? The repairs could not be put off. I now asked the Lord for two things, viz. that he would be pleased to change the north wind into a south wind, and that he would give to the workmen “a mind to work;” for I remembered how much Nehemiah accomplished in fifty-two days, whilst building the walls of Jerusalem, because “the people had a mind to work.” Well, the memorable day came. The evening before, the bleak north wind blew still; but on the Wednesday the south wind blew: exactly as I had prayed. The weather was so mild that no fire was needed. The brickwork is removed, the leak is found out very soon, the boilermakers begin to repair in good earnest. About half-past eight in the evening, when I was going to leave the new Orphan House for my home, I was informed at the lodge that the acting principal of the firm whence the boiler-makers came was arrived, to see how the work was going on, and whether he could in any way speed the matter. I went immediately into the cellar, therefore, to see him with the men, to seek to expedite the business. In speaking to the principal of this, he said in their hearing, “the men will work late this evening, and come very early again to-morrow.” “”We would rather, sir,” said the leader, “work all night.” Then remembered I the second part of my prayer that God would give the men “a mind to work.” Thus it was: by the morning the repair of the boiler was accomplished, the leak was stopped, though with great difficulty, and within about thirty hours the brickwork was up again and the fire in the boiler; and all the time the south wind blew so mildly that there was not the least need of a fire.
Here, then, is one of our difficulties which was overcome by prayer and faith.
For nearly three months all went on well; but at the end of February another leak appeared, which was worse than the previous one. But over this also we were helped through prayer, so that without any real inconvenience the repairs were accomplished within about thirty hours. From that time the Lord has not tried us any further in this way. While I am writing this it is fine warm weather, and I have ordered in both houses the fires to be discontinued in the heating apparatuses, and, the Lord willing, a new boiler will of course be substituted.
My Eye is Not on the Fog
"My eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God who controls every circumstance of my life." ~ George Müller
The following incident from the life of George Müller is related by Mr. Inglis, who heard the story from the captain of the ship with whom Müller prayed.
When I first came to America, thirty-one years ago. I crossed the Atlantic with the captain of a steamer who was one of the most devoted men I ever knew, and when we were off the banks of Newfoundland be said to me:
"Mr. Inglis, the last time I crossed here, five weeks ago, one of the most extraordinary things happened which, has completely revolutionized the whole of my Christian life. Up to that time I was one of your ordinary Christians. We had a man of God on board, George Müller, of Bristol. I had been on that bridge for twenty-two hours and never left it. I was startled by some one tapping me on the shoulder. It was George Müller:
"'Captain, he said, 'I have come to tell you that I must be In Quebec on Saturday afternoon.' This was Wednesday.
"'It is impossible,' I said.
"'Very well, if your ship can't take me, God will find some other means of locomotion to take me. I have never broken an engagement in fifty seven years.'
"’I would willingly help you. How can I? I am helpless.'
"'Let us go down to the chart-room and pray.'
"I looked at that man of God, and I thought to myself, what lunatic asylum could that man have come from? I never heard of such a thing.
"'Mr. Müller,' I said, 'do you know how dense the fog is?'
"'No,' he replied, 'my eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God who controls every circumstance of my life.'
"He got down on his knees and prayed one of the most simple prayers. I muttered to myself: 'That would suit a children's class where the children were not more than eight or nine years old.' The burden of his prayer was something like this: 'O Lord, if it is consistent with Thy will, please remove this fog in five minutes. You know the engagement you made for me in Quebec Saturday. I believe it is your will.'
"When he finished. I was going to pray, but he put his hand on my shoulder and told me not to pray. "First, you do not believe He will; and second. I believe He has. And there is no need whatever for you to pray about it.' I looked at him, and George Müller said..
"'Captain. I have known my Lord for forty-seven years, and there has never been a single day that I have failed to gain an audience with the King. Get up, captain, and open the door, and you will find the fog is gone.' I got up, and the fog was gone!
"You tell that to some people of a scientific turn of mind, and they will say, 'That is not according to natural laws.' No, it is according to spiritual laws. The God with whom we have to do is omnipotent. Hold on to God's omnipotence. Ask believingly. On Saturday afternoon, I may add, George Müller was there on time."
Herald of gospel liberty, Volume 102, Issues 27-52
George Müller
Brief Biography
The city of Bristol, in the southwest of England, is the seat of one of the most remarkable enterprises of modern times. Facing upon one of the public squares are two large, plain, substantial buildings, which might well attract the attention of a stranger. They are not store-houses or factories, public libraries or museums —they are the homes of seven hundred orphans, who have neither father nor mother, and who, otherwise destitute and friendless, are here fed, clothed, instructed, and in other respects cared for. Besides these two buildings a third and still larger one, capable of accommodating four hundred and fifty more children, and costing $112,000, has been more recently built.
The statement of these facts at once suggests an inquiry as to the manner in which this large, and expensive, and noble charity has been established and supported. Is it a government enterprise? What nobleman, with a heart as large as his purse, has inaugurated and carried forward, and is still sustaining the work? Or what association of individuals, or churches, or societies is managing the work and furnishing the necessary supplies? The institution rests on no such basis as this. At its head is simply George Müller, who says the work is the Lord's, and that he himself is only His servant and steward in the premises. The funds are, and ever have been, the voluntary contributions of individuals at home and abroad, given, as Mr. Müller heartily believes, in answer to prayer. This, as he says, is the secret of the whole matter: scriptural living and believing prayer.
The whole current of Mr. Müller's views and practice for the last thirty years, in connection with which we have this remarkable outgrowth of Christian charity, has been tending in this direction. While he was yet only the pastor of a small church in Teignmouth, in 1831, with a very limited salary, he was constrained, from conscientious motives, to relinquish even that, trusting for his support to the free-will offerings of those to whom he ministered; and at the end of the year, upon ascertaining the total amount of his receipts, he finds occasion to rejoice in the step, as his salary would not have amounted to nearly as much. Thus blessed in this measure, he was led to devote to the work of the Lord all his own little property, and to cast himself entirely on the arm of Him who careth for those who trust in Him. So well pleased was he with this mode of life, that he began to feel a strong desire to be able to convince others, by some visible demonstration, that God is a hearer and answerer of prayer, and that the command of Christ to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, with the promise that in so doing all temporal things shall be provided, and similar passages, are to be taken in a liberal sense and most implicitly trusted. This desire led, in the first instance, after much prayer and meditation, to the establishment of an Orphan House, the care of which, not less than of himself and his family, he proposed, God willing, to cast upon Him. Having announced his purpose, articles of furniture, etc., were at once contributed, and in a few weeks he was ready to make a beginning. But there were no applications for the reception of orphans! This was an unexpected feature in the enterprise, and it led Mr. Müller again to inquire of the Lord whether it were in accordance with His will, and to pray, if it were, that he would now send children. The very next day there was an application, and in a few days as many as forty-three. A house was accordingly rented and a beginning made.
From that day to this the course of the enterprise has been onward, until it has reached the position indicated above. Sometimes, indeed, they have been brought into straits (for Mr. Müller will purchase nothing unless he has the means in hand), but God has always appeared in their behalf and honored the confidence of His servants ere they have been in distress. Contributions are never asked for, nor is there any agency for securing funds; but gifts, varying in amount from a few pence to fifteen thousand dollars, are constantly flowing in. Mr. Müller, though needing for current expenses about $100,000 per year, says he is at rest, for God's promises will not fail.
Besides providing for the orphans, Mr. Müller has the care of two churches, and expends large sums of money for foreign missionary work under his own supervision, and for the circulation of the Scriptures, etc. His receipts for this department were one year fifty thousand dollars, a large part of which was actually expended. The total receipts were, for current expenses, building fund, and foreign missionary work, eta. £72,182, equal to more than $350,000. The Rev. Dr. Sawtell, chaplain to British and American seamen at Havre, France, who was in this country and addressed several audiences upon this subject, having recently visited Mr. Müller's establishment, fully confirmed the reports which have otherwise reached us with respect to this wonderful work. He said the half had not been told him.
Taken from "Müller and Harms," Five Years of Prayer and the Answers, by Samuel Prime
