Yesterday’s sermon must have hit a chord with quite a few of you from the comments I received. I promised I would post George Müller’s “How to know the will of God!”
How much peace, power, direction, and love are we doing without in our lives because of our lack of Trust in God? What can we do to get over our own plans and desires so that we align ourselves with the living God who is always seeking someone willing to be filled with His Spirit and His plans to better the world which in turn would better our own life? Reading about such people as George Müller along with Bible and prayer can open our hearts to more faith which leads to more Godly action in our lives. Below is what George Müller did daily as He sought the Lord about all things in His life.
1.–I seek at the beginning of each day to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the trouble with people generally is this. 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 impression. 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. If the Holy Ghost guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them.
4.–Next I take into account providential circumstances. These often plainly indicate God’s Will in connection with His Word and Spirit. (Providential circumstances are highly fortunate, perfectly timed events that happen unexpectedly but exactly when needed.) Miraculous answers
5.–I ask God in prayer to reveal His Will to me aright. ( correctly or in a proper manner so that I completely understand.
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.
If someone had asked Müller, “What made your ministry successful?” He would not have pointed first to prayer as a technique. He would have pointed to knowing the God to whom he prayed. He had a “Ginosko” relationship with His Lord and Savior. That’s why one of his most quoted statements is so profound:
“The first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was to have my soul happy in the Lord.”
Notice that he did not say, “My first business is to get answers to my prayers.” He believed that “knowing” (ginosko) God came first. Everything else, including the remarkable answers to his prayers, flowed out of that relationship. Which goes along with Jesus’ words in John 15: “Abide in Me… apart from Me you can do nothing.”
Prayers:
- Please add Ruth Portell to your prayer list, she is going in for hip surgery tomorrow morning at Anderson. Mike is still in his boot from his surgeries and now Ruth will be in rehab for sometime after her surgery. Keep both Mike and Ruth in your Prayers.
- Delores Fisher, Delores is going in for a hear Cath this Thursday. Please lift Delores to Gods peace and healing care. Delores comes as she can since she is using a walker, she was with us this past Sunday and is always with her daughter Janet.
Blessings to all of you, stay cool, and stay close to God! Love, pastor Kent