Our inspiration: George Müeller

Caring for the “least of these”

While attending university as a young man, German pastor George Müeller was greatly impacted by the example of August Hermann Francke, who operated orphan houses which were supplied on prayer alone (in other words, he employed no fundraising, only prayed for all their needs and expected God to provide). Initially Müeller adopted Francke’s practice of believing prayer to God to supply for his own personal needs. England at the time had some 250,000 orphans, many children orphaned as a result of parents killed by the dangerous and unsafe working conditions of the burgeoning industrial revolution. There were few orphanages to meet the overwhelming need, if indeed people even perceived the need to care for orphans, who were not looked upon by the general society with compassion, rather were considered ‘street vermin’. Children were forced to survive on the streets by stealing, were exploited for prostitution, some were housed in insane asylums, many went blind or suffered ill health from consumption working in the coal mines or died in the brutal work houses. Charles Dickens, a contemporary of Müeller, wrote about the abysmal conditions of orphans in England in his classic literary work, Oliver Twist. Dickens visited George Müeller and the orphanages at Ashley Down to see for himself how this extraordinary work was being carried out.

Müeller was moved with compassion for the destitute orphans he saw on the cruel streets. As he was learning to put into practice believing prayer for his own needs, he had also been looking for an extreme need whereupon through prayer he could put a demand on God to provide for “the least of these” and demonstrate to believers that God would care for them, too, if they would learn to pray and trust Him. Thus he embarked upon a lifelong adventure in proving God is a faithful Father Who promises to provide for every need, large or small. The stories of God’s miraculous answers to prayer in the early days of Müeller’s work are thrilling and continued throughout his life, impacting millions with his practical examples of faith.

Müeller’s conviction was never to fundraise or make direct appeals for money for his missions, nor did he ever take a regular salary for nearly his entire life. He simply told people what he was doing through yearly reports describing the work of his various ministries and let people’s conscience and prayers guide them in their giving. But mainly he prayed and taught his helpers to pray. At times he was constrained for a certain season from even sharing details of the work with his staff and helpers so that they would learn to be wholly dependent upon God.

Through 70+ years of effective ministry, Müeller claimed to have seen some 50,00 answers to prayer, and it is estimated that he gave away approximately $150,000,000 in today’s currency. Müeller kept scrupulously detailed records of answered prayers in journals throughout his life (which can be seen today in the museum made of his home at Ashley Down). He built five orphanages at Ashley Down, fed, clothed, housed and educated more than 10,000 orphans, built 117 schools, supported 160+ missionaries (including his famous contemporaries, missionaries Hudson Taylor and David Livingstone), read his Bible through some 200 times, printed and distributed countless portions of Scripture through his Scriptural Knowledge Institution, traveled the world in his 70s and 80s and preached to millions, and over his lifetime prayed for 20,000 souls by name. Müeller saw every need supplied -- all by prayer to God alone.  

He had prayed in millions of dollars (in today's currency) for the Orphans and never asked anyone directly for money. He never took a salary in the last 68 years of his ministry, but trusted God to put in people's hearts to send him what he needed. He never took out a loan or went into debt. And neither he nor the orphans were ever hungry. (Piper)

As we’ve studied the unusual life of George Müeller, again and again our hearts are gripped with excitement at the prospect of embarking on the same kind of adventure in trusting God to provide not only for our own needs and the needs of Freedom Farm, but more importantly, for the physical, emotional, spiritual, relational, and material needs of “the least of these” -- women and children neglected, exploited, abused, oppressed and abandoned. Such a mission can seem overwhelming because the needs are so great, but we are eager to put a demand on God through utter dependence and faith-filled prayer, and in doing so, believe we will see Him prove His Fatherhood in countless thrilling and miraculous ways. We are excited to tell the stories of His loving provision to a world hungry to know that He cares.

Sources

You can learn more about the extraordinary life of George Müeller by checking out a few of the many resources found online:

1. George Müeller, Man of Faith | Video Dramatic Presentation

2. Answers to Prayer, from George Müeller’s Narratives | 4-part Audio Book

3. George Mueller: Man of Faith and Miracles | Book

4. George Müeller’s Strategy for Showing God | Article/Message

5. George Mueller’s Strategy for Showing God, John Piper | Article