George Müller’s Orphanages (from path2prayer.com)

In making the decision to found an orphanage, Müller spent much time praying, searching his heart relative to his motives, seeking to dispose of all worldly thinking and seeking input from other church members. He was struck by Psalms 81:10 where it said, “Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.”As a result he prayed for a building, funds and workers. Shortly thereafter he received a shilling towards such an enterprise and a large wardrobe. He also received a £100 gift from a poor needlework woman. Opening day everything was in place, but no orphans came. Müller realized that he had failed to pray for orphans and added to his prayers.

 

His purpose in opening the orphanage was to demonstrate God’s faithfulness in furnishing means through prayer alone, promoting the spiritual welfare of fatherless and motherless children, providing for their temporal good and encouraging others to also enter into such a life of faith. As he put it,“If he, a poor man, without asking any one but God, could get means to carry on an orphan house, it would be seen that God is faithful still and still hears prayer.”

 

First efforts began in 1836 in their own rented home at 6 Wilson Street, Bristol, where they were able to accommodate thirty girls. Later three more houses were prepared for girls and boys, raising the capacity to 130.

 

In 1845, because of complaints coming from the neighbours, it was decided to open a new building at Ashley Down to accommodate 300, which was completed in 1849.

 

Operating principles included not buying anything for which funds were not in hand, the children were never to suffer hunger or nakedness—nor were they to be told of need, nothing was to be revealed to outsiders of existing needs, God was to be their continual resort, and they were to live in such daily and hourly fellowship with God that their own unbelief and disobedience might not risk either their own power in prayer or the agreement, needful among them.

 

Over time four more buildings were added. Each had been a matter of earnest prayer, heart searching, seeking only the will of God, sometimes long delays, before they were constructed.

 

Eventually 1,722 children were being accommodated, though there was capacity for 2,200, in five buildings. These were all built without making any requests for funds.

 

God provided abundantly! Not only did God provide the funds for building these marvellous edifices, but He also provided for the other ministry activities going on. For example, in 1874 Müller recorded that they had fed and clothed 2,100 orphans and staff. They had also helped 189 missionaries. One hundred day schools with 9,000 students had been supported. Four million tracts had been printed. Thousands of copies of the Scriptures had been printed and distributed. Müller had opened His mouth wide and God had more than filled it.

 

 

The Purchase Of A Site (from georgemuller.org)

 

MR. BENJAMIN PERRY gives an account of the circumstances under which the land was purchased, prior to the erection of the orphan houses on Ashley Down, as he heard it from Mr. Müller's own mouth, showing how directly the Lord worked on the mind of the owner.

Mr. Müller had been making inquiries respecting the purchase of land much nearer Bristol, the prices asked being not less than £1000 per acre, when he heard that the land upon which the Orphan Houses Nos. 1 and 2 stand, was for sale, the price being £200 per acre. He therefore called at the house of the owner, and was informed that he was not at home, but that he could be seen at his place of business in the city. Mr. Müller went there, and was informed that he had left a few minutes before, and that he would find him at home. Most men would have gone off to the owner's house at once; but Mr. Müller stopped and reflected,

" Peradventure the Lord, having allowed me to miss the owner twice in so short a time, has a purpose that I should not see him to-day; and lest I should be going before the Lord in the matter, I will wait till the morning."

And accordingly he waited and went the next morning, when he found the owner at home; and on being ushered into his sitting-room, he said:

"Ah, Mr. Müller, I know what you have come to see me about. You want to buy my land on Ashley Down. I had a dream last night, and I saw you come in to purchase the land, for which I have been asking £200 per acre; but the Lord told me not to charge you more than £120 per acre, and therefore if you are willing to buy at that price the matter is settled."

And within ten minutes the contract was signed.
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"Thus," Mr. Müller pointed out, "by being careful to follow the Lord, instead of going before His leading, I was permitted to purchase the land for £80 per acre less than I should have paid if I had gone to the owner the evening before."