Knowing the Will of God

George Muller

I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies

a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your

spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world,

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may

prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and

perfect (Romans 12:1-2).

George Muller has been an encouragement to many of God's

servants for over a century. His thoughts on knowing the will of God

are as timely and relevant as when he first penned them.

How do I ascertain the will of God:

I seek at the beginning 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 is right here. 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.

Having surrendered my own will, I do not leave the result to feeling or

simply impressions. If I do so, I make myself liable to great delusions.

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 the Holy

Ghost guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures, and

never contrary to them.

Next I take into account providential circumstances. These often

plainly indicate God's will in connection with His Word and Spirit.

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

Thus, through prayer to God, the study of His Word, and reflection, I

come to a deliberate judgment, 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.

For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not

ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the

knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding . . .

(Colossians 1:9).

Müller, George (1805-1898)

Preacher, pastor, evangelist; born near Magdeburg, Germany;

attended school in Halle; took communion but not a Christian; very

sinful life; soundly converted at Moravian mission (1825); to U. of

Halle to prepare for Christian work; began to preach (1826); invited

to England by Society for the Propagation of the Gospel to work

among Jews; pastor of Ebenezer Chapel, Teignmouth, Derbyshire,

England (1830); refused a salary, abolished pew rentals believing

God would supply; to Bristol (1832) to help poor children and founded

Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad (1834); having

no personal funds, opened orphanage with 26 girls (1849); with the

addition of two more homes cared for 1,000 orphans (1866); by 1875

over 2,000; at all times his needs made known only to God; at 70

years of age embarked with wife on evangelistic tour of Europe,

America, Australia (42 countries, 200,000 miles); fell asleep in the

Lord at 93; personal possessions valued at $800; over 10,000 orphans

cared for; autobiography: Autobiography of George Müller,

London: J. Nisbett and Co., 1906; biography: A.T. Pierson,

George Müller of Bristol, London: Pickering & Inglis, 1899.