George Müller is famous for establishing orphanages in England where he cared for over ten thousand orphans in his lifetime. His friends and co-laborers knew him as a man who prayerfully and joyfully depended upon God for all his needs. One of George Muller’s friends, Charles Spurgeon, “The Prince of Preachers,” commented on Muller’s prayer journal:
Our dear Brother, Mr. George Muller, has on his “prayer book” the name of a Brother for whom he has prayed, I think I heard him say, some 36 years. That was some years ago, so it must be a longer time than that, now, unless, indeed, the prayer has been answered. But he has the inward persuasion that this person will yet be brought to the Savior’s feet and, therefore, he daily mentions the case before God in prayer. By the way, he tells us of a very admirable plan of his for booking his requests in prayer and marking them off as they are answered—and those that are not answered he lets stand until, in process of time, he finds that some of them were not proper requests and he puts that against them. But he finds that God does hear prayer and he likes to keep a record of it. If we did the same, we would have much more holy commonsense confidence in God, and our praying would be a more business-like matter as, indeed, it ought to be. But do not say to yourself, “I shall pray just so long for this thing.” If what you are asking for touches the Kingdom and the Glory of Christ, persevere in the prayer with this text to encourage you, “Men ought always to pray.” – Charles Spurgeon