“The children are dressed and ready for school. But there is no food for them to eat,” the housemother of the orphanage informed George Mueller. George asked her to take all 300 children into the dining room and have them sit at the tables ready for breakfast. He thanked God for the food and waited. He knew God would provide food for the children as he always did. Within minutes, a baker knocked on the door. “Mr. Mueller,” he said, “last night I could not sleep. Somehow I knew that you would need bread this morning. I got up and baked three batches for you. I will bring it in.”

I know that many of you have heard the story of the missionary, George Mueller. Or maybe you have seen the Veggie Tales movie that included him. But many do not know the backstory about this faithful man. He once wasn’t quite so faithful. In fact, he used to make fun of Christians and lived a worldly life. But the Lord got a hold of him and changed his life completely. He felt called into mission work. When he let his dad know that he wanted to be a missionary, his dad told him he would no longer pay for him to go to school. But George knew — he just knew — that this was what he was supposed to be doing.

What I love the most about this story is what George’s automatic response is to any situation that he cannot handle or provide for: prayer. So when George realized that his dad would no longer support him in college, he did something unexpected: he went to his knees. He begged God for provision. And guess what. A professor knocked on his door and offered him a paid tutoring job. God provides!

I know that the times we are living in right now are scary, anxiety ridden, and at best, uncharted and unknown. But we have a God that loves us more than we can even comprehend.

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
— Philippians 4:6–7

When George had a need, he called down power. We need to be a people of prayer. Let’s be a church that is known for powerful prayer when facing an uncertain time of social crisis.