THE WORK OF MULLERS 

INTRODUCTION

It continues to be a real joy and privilege to meet so many people from all over the world for whom the story of the faith of George Müller has had (and continues to have) a profound influence in their lives.

 

It is amazing that the story of a life that was lived trusting only in God, a life in love with Jesus Christ and a lasting testimony of a God who cares for us and who is totally trustworthy is still fresh and challenging today, even though this man was born 200 years ago.

 

It would be wrong to think that the answers to prayer that George Müller experienced were all easy and quick – the early part of his diaries show us that his experience was often far from that. Life was tough at times. But he learned to be persistent in and committed to the challenging task that God set him – that of demonstrating the faithfulness of God in prayer, often in the most miraculous of circumstances. He says however in his diaries later in his life that he had documentary evidence that he had had 50,000 answers to prayer and went on to say something even more remarkable – that 30,000 of those prayers had been answered in 24 hours or less.

 

Here was a man who, in want, knew the challenge ofwaiting and being persistent in prayer but also a man who was so thankful that he saw the outcome of his devotion through answers to
prayer, many of which were miraculous, timely and fairly immediate. It is not surprising therefore that his story spans not just the ages but also the nations for many seek the sort of intimacy that Mr Müller enjoyed with his God. It is also not surprising that we are seeing an upsurge in the publication of new books about him and also the availability of a new DVD in early 2006.

 

The Müller story is not just a challenge for Christians in theirwalk with God but equally it is for those who are not yet Christians for in these many answers to prayer can be seen evidence of the reality of the things of God. We also welcome many visitors who are not Christian but who are amazed at what they hear about the story and more importantly about the reality of God.
The three key principles which have been the common thread in the work of Müllers over the years – Faith, Care and Evanglism – begin with faith. The caring and evangelistic activity of Müllers flows from the starting point of faith and that is how it should be. Without the trust in God through Jesus Christ and in His provision in answer to prayer, our activity will be ill founded. The ways in which we do things may change but this godly pattern remains unchanged. 

 

You will see over the following pages the way in which the Foundation is seeking to reach out into a needy world.

 

• In its children, young people and family work, it is seeking to work in partnership with local churches to facilitate them in their work, to seek ways in which children, young people and their parents might be touched by God’s love, especially those in need. We seek to support, resource, inspire, equip, train and, where necessary, help to fund the work in churches. The number of partnerships is gradually increasing and we look forward to this developing part of our work with excitement.

 

• In its elderly care work, the Foundation is seeking to provide care for those who are at the other end of their lives but who also have needs, albeit often of a different sort. Tilsley and Tranquil Houses continue to provide that quality care for which they have become known.

 

• In its support for Christian workers and organisations at home and overseas, the Scriptural Knowledge Institution continues to provide the link between those seeking God for their financial needs with those who are seeking God concerning their giving and these are brought together through prayer.

 

We hope that the following pages will enable you to have a clearer idea of the nature and extent of the work to which God has called us. We are all very grateful for the continuing support of the  Directors/Trustees and for their contribution to the work. During the last year Mrs Lynette Jones has resigned from that role, having spent a number of years as a Trustee. We are very grateful to her for her support, expertise and encouragement over the years.

 

This year is a very significant year for us – 200 years since Mr Müller’s birth on 27 September 1805. It is our prayer that this work will continue to reflect the timeless principles of faith, care and evangelism in all that we do, remembering and cherishing our heritage but reaching out into the needy world of today with a freshness and relevance that will make a difference. Please
continue to pray for us.