When Esther prayed for her people, she asked the entire nation to pray and to fast for three days and three nights. When Daniel heard the decree that no one was to pray to any God except to the king, he went to his open window and continued his habit of praying three times a day. When the disciples defied the rulers and prayed for the hand of God to continue to show signs and wonders as evidence of his power and of the truth of the Gospel message, their prayer shook the house in which they were praying. Prayer was the vital component of George Mueller's 19th-century ministry to England's orphans. In "Answers to Prayer," Mueller reveals how powerful and spiritually rewarding prayer can be. Mueller lived a life of total dependence on God. One of Mueller's chief rules was to never tell others the needs of the orphanages, but only to ask God for help. God did indeed answer Mr. Mueller's prayers by providing for thousands of orphans often on a meal to meal basis for over 40 years. The powerful ways that God did provide are truly touching, with power to encourage other Christians and challenge the skeptical.
His life shows how every believer can appropriate the promises of God for themselves. Through all this, Müller never made requests for financial support, nor did he go into debt, even though the five homes he ran cost over £100,000 to build. Many times, he received unsolicited food donations only hours before they were needed to feed the children, further strengthening his faith in God. For example, on one well-documented occasion, they gave thanks for breakfast when all the children were sitting at the table, even though there was nothing to eat in the house. As they finished praying, the baker knocked on the door with sufficient fresh bread to feed everyone, and the milkman gave them plenty of fresh milk because his cart broke down in front of the orphanage
While crossing the Atlantic on the SS Sardinian in August 1877, his ship ran into thick fog. He explained to the captain that he needed to be in Quebec by the following afternoon, but Captain Joseph E. Dutton (later known as "Holy Joe") said that he was slowing the ship down for safety and Müller's appointment would have to be missed. Müller asked to use the chartroom to pray for the lifting of the fog. The captain followed him down, claiming it would be a waste of time. After Müller prayed a very simple prayer, the captain started to pray, but Müller stopped him; partly because of the captain's unbelief, but mainly because he believed the prayer had already been answered. Müller said, "Captain, I have known my Lord for more than fifty years and there is not one instance that I have failed to have an audience with the King. Get up, Captain, for you will find that the fog has gone." When the two men went back to the bridge, they found the fog had lifted, and Müller was able to keep his appointment. It’s almost needless to say that the captain became a Christian shortly afterwards.
Philippians 4:6 (NKJV)
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;”
If we want to be an “alive” church, we need to be a praying church.
If we want to be vigorous and active and relevant, we need to be a praying church.
We need to be, not just a praying church, but we need to be a praying people.
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