Many people have read and heard of George Muller.  For those who have not, it’s a simple story.  He lived a riotous life during much of his youth until he came to radical faith in Christ.  He pastored a church in Bristol, England for 60 years.

            But he is best known for starting and running a series of orphanages.  He did not employ a single campaign company or non-profit consulting firm to help him raise money for these orphanages.  Instead, he prayed.

            Forgotten in the wonder of his faith-filled story are the simple reasons he gave for starting:

            If I, a poor man, simply by prayer and faith, obtained without asking any       individual, the means for establishing and carrying on an Orphan-House,          there would be something which, with the Lord’s blessing, might be    instrumental in strengthening the faith of the children of God….This, then,            was the primary reason for establishing the Orphan-House….The first and    primary object of the work was (and still is): that God might be magnified        by the fact, that the orphans under my care are provided with all they       need, only by prayer and faith without anyone being asked by me or my      fellow-laborers whereby it may be seen, that God is faithful still, and hears             prayer still. 

 It wasn’t just about the orphans.  Muller wanted to be part of something that only God can do.

            I admire his moxie.  But there’s much in this culture of ours that has taught me to rely upon myself, and the things I have and the things that I can do.  On the other hand, I wonder what God can do with an empty bank account, a sincere desire, prayer and the Word of God.  I wonder indeed if He would build orphanages, move mountains, and capture strongholds if I would but believe.

            So what about you?  What is your orphanage?

Bill High

Bill is CEO & Founder of Vyne Legacy. He works with families to equip them with tools to build multigenerational legacies, and he teaches givers and financial advisers on transformational biblical generosity. He is the co-author with David Green of Giving It All Away and Getting It All Back Again: The Way of Living Generously.

Published October 19, 2011

Topics: A Life of Faith

FaithMissions