George Mueller established homes for as many as two thousand orphans at a time, and cared for more than ten thousand children in his lifetime. Yet, he never made his needs to do this known to anyone except to God in prayer. Only through his annual reports were people informed of how God had provided food, clothing and support for the young people he cared for.
His secret was that Mueller was a man who knew how to pray and had over fifty thousand specific and documented answers to prayer written down in his journals. Thirty thousand of which he said were answered the same day or even the same hour. That’s five hundred answers each year, more than once per day, every day for sixty years! Plus, God also provided the equivalent of $7,200,000.00 in response to Mueller’s prayers.
So what made George Mueller’s prayer life so fruitful?
One key was his practice of searching the Bible to find a promise that covered his need and what he required before he prayed. Sometimes he would spend days reading and meditating on the scriptures before he presented his petition.
When he found the promise, he would, with an open bible and his finger on that promise, ask God for what he required. In doing so, he got answers, but He always prayed with an open Bible in front of him.
Mueller discovered that spending time searching God’s Word and asking according to what God had spoken was a key to experiencing a powerful prayer life.
Mueller’s example highlights the importance of taking the time to find and take hold of God’s promises when we pray. Therefore the question to ask ourselves is, “How often do I rush my requests to God, failing to build any real faith for what I’m asking or with an assurance based on God’s Word?“
I encourage you to seek to have a life full of answered prayer. Write down your requests to God, and then go to His word and find out what He has to say. What are His promises regarding your situation and the circumstances you and many worldwide are facing right now? As you discover them, determine to pray and ask according to His Word, and then expect Him to answer.
Today let’s encourage one another and unite in prayer together. Set a daily alarm on your phone for 7 pm and spend five or more minutes in intentional prayer for your situation and nation. Share this call to prayer, and let’s determine to intercede for our circumstances, the nations and for the Lord to bring an outpouring of His spirit to cover the whole earth.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6)
“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him”. (1 John 5:14-16)
Prayer: Lord, I thank you for your promises and that you are faithful to keep them. As we pray together and individually today I bring my requests to you, knowing that you will answer according to your promises. In Jesus Name Amen.