The Faith Principles of Ministry (1824) Muller

George Müller (1805-1898) believed he had seen over 50,000 answers to prayer. Refusing
to ask anyone but God alone for help, he fed, clothed and housed 10,024 orphans
during his lifetime in Bristol, England. Perhaps no one in modern history has demonstrated
the life of trust in God more persistently and conspicuously than this man.

1. We consider every believer bound, in one way or other,
to help the cause of Christ, and we have scriptural
warrant for expecting the Lord’s blessing on our work
of faith and labor of love; and although, according to
Matthew 13:24-43, II Timothy 3:1-13, and many other
passages, the world will not be converted before the
coming of our Lord Jesus, still, while He tarries, all
scriptural means should be employed for the ingathering
of the elect of God.

2. The Lord helping us, we do not mean to seek the patronage
of the world; i.e., we never intend to ask unconverted
persons of rank or wealth to support this
institution, because this, we consider, would be dishonorable
to the Lord. “In the name of our God we will
set up our banners” (Psalm 20:5). He alone shall be our
patron, and if He helps us we will prosper; and if He is
not on our side, we will not succeed.

3. We do not mean to ask unbelievers for money (II
Corinthians 6:14-18); though we do not feel ourselves
warranted to refuse their contributions, if they, of their
own accord, should offer them. (See Acts 28:2, 10).

4. We reject altogether the help of unbelievers in managing
or carrying on the affairs of the institution. (See II
Corinthians 6:14-18.)

5. We intend never to enlarge the field of labor by contracting
debts (Romans 13:8), and afterward appealing
to the Church of God for help, because this we consider
to be opposed both to the letter and the spirit of
the New Testament; but in secret prayer, God helping
us, we shall carry the wants of the institution to the
Lord, and act according to the means that God shall
give.

6. We do not mean to reckon the success of the institution
by the amount of money given or the number of
Bibles distributed, but by the Lord’s blessing on the
work (Zechariah 4:6); and we expect this, in the proportion
in which He shall help us to wait upon Him in
prayer.

7. While we would avoid needless separation, we desire
to go on simply according to Scripture, without compromising
the truth; at the same time thankfully receiving
any instruction which experienced believers,
after prayer, upon scriptural ground, may have to give
us concerning the institution.

more from muller

Many asked Mr. Muller how he sought to know the
will of God, in that nothing was undertaken, not even the
smallest expenditure, without feeling certain he was in God’s
will. In the following words he gave his answer:

1. I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a
state that it has not will of its own in regard to a given
matter. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome
when our hearts are ready to do the Lord’s will, whatever
it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is
usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His
will is.

2. Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or
simple impressions. If so, I make myself liable to great
delusions.

3. I seek the will of the Spirit of God through or in connection
with the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word
must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without
the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also.

4. Next I take into account providential circumstances.
These plainly indicate God’s will in connection with
His Word and Spirit.
Müller on Discerning the Will of God
meditation over it. This I most firmly believe, that no one
ought to expect to see much good resulting from his labours
if he is not much given to prayer and meditation.
That which I have found most beneficial in the public
ministry of the Word, is expounding the Scriptures. This
may be done in a twofold way, either by entering minutely
into the bearing of every point occurring in the portion, or
by giving the general outlines, and thus leading the hearers
to see the meaning and connection of the whole. The
benefits which I have seen resulting from expounding are
these: (I) The hearers are thus, with God’s blessing, led to
the Scriptures. This induces them to bring their Bibles, and
I have observed that those who at first did not bring them,
have afterwards been induced to do so; so that in a short
time few were in the habit of coming without them. This is
no small matter; for everything which in our day will lead
believers to value the Scriptures is of importance. (2) The
expounding of the Scriptures is in general more beneficial
to the hearers than if, on a single verse, or half a verse, or

5. I ask God in prayer to reveal His will to me aright.

6. Thus through prayer to God, the study of the Word
and reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according
to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my
mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two or
three more petitions, I proceed accordingly. In trivial
matters and in transactions involving most important
issues, I have found this method always effective.
And did this plan work? one asks. Let Mr. Muller’s
testimony answer.
“I never remember,” he wrote three years before his
death, “in all my Christian course, a period now of sixtynine
years and four months, that I ever SINCERELY AND
PATIENTLY sought to know the will of God by the teaching
of the Holy Ghost, through the instrumentality of the
Word of God, but I have been always directed rightly. But
if honesty of heart and uprightness before God were lacking,
or if I did not patiently wait upon God for instruction,
or if I preferred the counsel of my fellow men to the declarations
of the Word of the living God, I made great mistakes.”