Week: Creativity
As usual, each day we will simply pray (P.R.A.Y.) together.
P: PAUSING to be still.
R: REJOICING with a Memory Verse and REFLECTING on some verses from the Bible.
A: ASKING God to help us and others.
Y: saying YES to God’s ways.
As usual we start by pausing and taking a deep breath:
In and out.
In and out.
We remember that God is here, and so together we prepare ourselves to be with God.
Pause
Father God, as we draw near to You, please draw near to us too. Teach us to pray. Speak, Lord, we’re listening.
George Müller learnt to trust God for everything he needed. Let’s REFLECT on what Jesus says about this in the gospel of Luke.
Read by Kate
Luke 12:29-31
Don’t always think about what you will eat or what you will drink, and don’t keep worrying. All the people in the world are trying to get these things, and your Father knows you need them. But seek God’s kingdom, and all your other needs will be met as well.
Luke 12:29-31 (NCV)
George Müller was born in 1805 in Germany, but he moved to Bristol in England to serve God as a missionary. At that time, lots of people were getting sick and dying because of a nasty disease called cholera, and many children were being left without parents.
George was heart-broken. He wanted to do something, so he decided to turn his home into an orphanage – a safe place for children who had no parents. But it wasn’t long before he ran out of space for all the children, and so he bought three more houses on the same street and turned them into orphanages too. However, the neighbours weren’t happy about the noise, so George had to build a larger home in the countryside, which could take 300 children, but even that wasn’t enough. During his lifetime, George Müller cared for more than 10,000 children in dozens of orphanages. Isn’t that incredible?
But George wasn’t a rich man, so how did he pay for all this? Well, he took the words of Jesus from today’s Bible passage really seriously. He never asked anybody for any cash – he just prayed and trusted that God would provide. And God did! For example, one day at breakfast there was no food for the children, so George asked God to give them something to eat. Almost immediately, there was a knock at the door. The local baker had woken up in the middle of the night feeling that he needed to make fresh bread for the children. Then there was another knock. The milkman had broken down in front of the home and wanted to donate all his milk. Just like that, there was enough for breakfast!*
Let’s press pause and talk about today’s question which is: When have we, or maybe someone we know, experienced something like this – a time when someone has given us exactly what we needed? Maybe it was something that we were asking God to provide?
George started helping orphans because his heart was broken. God opened his eyes to see the problem, and touched his heart with compassion and courage to do something about it.
Father God, we ASK you to inspire us in the same way. Open our eyes so that we see who needs help. And give us compassion and courage to actually do something about it.
Sadly, there are at least 18 million children around the world today who have been orphaned because both of their parents have died – often because of war, disease or poverty**. Let’s pray for them now.
Father God, we ASK You to help every child who has lost their parents. Be especially close to them, and help them find safe places to call home. And please help those who are caring for them – give them all the things they need to do an amazing job.
George trusted God. He couldn’t do what he did without God, and he talked with God constantly. He once said: ‘I live in the spirit of prayer. I pray as I walk about, when I lie down and when I rise up. And the answers are always coming.’ ***
Pause
Let’s say a big YES to praying like this too!
Lord God, we say YES to learning to pray at all times, just like George Müller. Teach us to trust You in the way he did.
Pause
Let’s put a hand on our heart.
Father God, fill us with Your love. Help us to love You, and everything that You’ve made.
Let’s point to our eyes.
Lord Jesus, help us to see You, and to see others the way that You see them too.
Let’s point to our ears.
Holy Spirit, help us to hear You, and give us courage to do what You say.
* Adapted from ‘George Müller: Trusting God for Daily Bread’, https://harvestministry.org/muller
*** George Müller, An Hour With George Müller, The Man of Faith to Whom God Gave Millions (Must Have Books, 2021)
Phil lives close to a beach in the north of England with his wife, his daughters and his dogs. Phil works for 24-7 Prayer, mostly doing Lectio stuff, and helping to run Prayer Spaces in Schools. He runs a lot, usually for long distances. He likes curry, mountains, reading books and he still plays Pokemon Go.
Kate is 11 and lives in Melbourne Australia, with her parents, younger sister, and puppy Leo. Kate loves visual arts, reading, playing basketball and spending time with her family.
