Mark Sorensen George Mueller, a great Christian evangelist and director of the Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, England, was one of the great men of faith who knew and practiced the power of prayer in his life. Of prayer, he said the following, “I live in the spirit of prayer, daily. I pray as I walk about, when I lie down and when I rise up and, what I have found is this: the answers are always coming. The primary business I must attend to every day is this: to fellowship with the Lord.”
A story is often told of an experience Mueller had taking care of the children at the orphanage. Once, they ran out of food. So, Mueller set the table and gathered the children around the empty table. As the children glanced at empty plates and then back at Mueller, they were perplexed and asked him why they were sitting at an empty table. Mueller smiled and said, “We may not have food on this table, but we’re going to pray together and give thanks to the Lord for what we do have! His grace and strength.” So, he prayed. He prayed and thanked the Lord for His promise to give them daily bread and to meet their needs when they ask. Not long after he had finished the prayer, a knock at the door was heard. To Mueller’s surprise, it was the bread baker from up the street. He shared that he felt led to bring the leftovers to the orphanage on that night as they had not sold all that they had baked on that particular day.
Can you even imagine the scene that night as they gathered around that once-empty table filled with empty plates and, instead, broke apart fresh loaves of bread that God had intended for each one of those children and adults on that specific evening?
There’s power in prayer.
This Sunday in the Harvest services, we’re going deeper into our Lenten series, Sacred Rhythms, as we continue to focus on prayer. Last week, we set the stage by looking at Luke 11:1-13 and talked about Jesus’ words in relationship to the priority, persistence and promise that comes when we lean into a life of prayer. This week, let’s start with sitting at the table with empty plates. Let’s look at Pause and how we approach the throne of God’s grace through prayer.
Remember! Move the clocks forward ⏰ and we’ll see you for worship. 8:00 am, 9:30 am, 11:00 am in the Harvest worship space on the campus of The Woodlands United Methodist Church! Can’t wait!
