Persistence in Prayer

Since that last post that I put up on George Mueller, I have been doing some reading and studying on prayer. I found, on Kindle, 6 free books by him and below is a small snippet from his Answers to Prayer book on how God provided for him and why God made him wait.

The funds are exhausted. The labourers, who had a little money, have given as long as they had any left. Now observe how the Lord helped us! A lady from the neighbourhood of London who brought a parcel with money from her daughter, arrived four or five days since in Bristol, and took lodgings next door to the Boys' Orphan-House. This afternoon she herself kindly brought me the money, amounting to £3 2s. 6d. We had been reduced so low as to be on the point of selling those things which could be spared; but this morning I had asked the Lord, if it might be, to prevent the necessity, of our doing so. That the money had been so near the Orphan-Houses for several days without being given, is a plain proof that it was from the beginning in the heart of God to help us; but because He delights in the prayers of His children, He had allowed us to pray so long; also to try our faith, and to make the answer so much the sweeter. It is indeed a precious deliverance. I burst out into loud praises and thanks the first moment I was alone, after I had received the money. I met with my fellow-labourers again this evening for prayer and praise; their hearts were not a little cheered. This money was this evening divided, and will comfortably provide for all that will be needed to-morrow."

Müller, George (2012-05-12). Answers to Prayer From George Müller's Narratives (pp. 32-33).  . Kindle Edition.

Sometimes God makes us wait on Him for the answers to our prayers only for the reasons that He delights in the prayers of His children and He is trying your faith.

Proverbs 15:8 NIV

The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked,

but the prayer of the upright pleases him.

James 1:2-3 NIV

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

1 Peter 1:7 NIV

These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Brothers and sisters, just because Father hasn't answered your prayer right away that doesn't mean that He won't. There are reasons for this and one of the reasons may just be that He finds joy in hearing you pray and speaking to Him. Press in with prayer, make sure your heart is clean and your prayer is not selfish but according to His will.

I'm linking this post with Barbie at The Weekend Brew.

Blessings,

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George Mueller

Isaiah 64:24 NLT

I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!

Most of this morning I knew in my heart that Father wanted me to put up post on spiritual warfare but for the life of me I just couldn't re-arrange the words floating around in my mind. So, I figured that I just needed to learn more so I just stared surfing the web and I found this gem on George Mueller. I have copied and pasted the text below from this site on spiritual warfare.

George Mueller had God as the Lord of his life and Father answered his prayers all of the time. When we are in the right alignment with God, He will answer us too.

One the greatest example of prayer in recent memory is George Mueller, this story comes to us from the captain of a ship who witnessed the power of prayer first hand. Who himself became a man of prayer after witnessing it from George Mueller. Mueller was a prayer warrior who established orphanages and was a man of prayer.  One day he was on a ship headed to Quebec Canada, for a particular meeting, a thick fog settled in on the water.[1]   

 the Mueller's set off for the United States in August 1877 aboard the Sardian…Off Newfoundland the weather turned cold and the ship's progress was seriously retarded by fog. The captain had been on the bridge for 24 hours when something happened which was to revolutionize his life. George Mueller appeared on the bridge.

"Captain, I have come to tell you I must be in Quebec by Saturday afternoon."

"It is impossible," said the captain. 

"Very well, " said Mueller, "if your ship cannot take me, God will find some other way--I have never broken an engagement for 52 years. Let us go down into the chart-room and pray." 
The Captain wondered which lunatic asylum Mueller had come from. 

"Mr. Mueller," he said, "do you know how dense this fog is?" 

"No, my eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God, who controls every circumstance of my life." 

Mueller then knelt down and prayed simply. When he had finished the captain was about to pray, but Mueller put his hand on his shoulder, and told him not to. 
"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."The captain looked at Mueller in amazement."Captain," he continued, I have known my Lord for 52 years, and there has never been a single day that I have failed to get an audience with the King. Get up, captain, and open the door, and you will find the fog is gone." 

The captain walked across to the door and opened it. The fog had lifted. It was the captain himself, who later told the story of this incident, and who was subsequently described by a well known evangelist as "one of the most devoted men I ever knew."
It was prayer that swept his soul free of doubt, distemper, and the after-effects of a trial by the incoming tide of peace. For this reason he could make such remarks as this entry on March 9, 1847, "The greater the difficulties, the easier for faith." And a later one, "The greater the trial, the sweeter the victory."
His victories came through prayer, trust in the Lord's unfailing promises and a faith that God's truth would not fail.

"It is not enough to begin to pray," he advises us, "nor to pray aright; nor is it enough to continue for a time to pray; but we must patiently, believingly continue in prayer, until we obtain an answer; and further, we have not only to continue in prayer unto the end, but we have also to believe that God does hear us and will answer our prayers. Most frequently we fail in not continuing in prayer until the blessing is obtained, and in not expecting the blessing." 

George Mueller illustrates our need to depend on Prayer and the Holy Spirit to direct us in the Spiritual war. 

Blessings,
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