Celebrating Andrew Murray’s Century of Influence

Today is the centennial celebration of Andrew Murray’s death.

Born May 9, 1828, Andrew Murray was 88 when he died one hundred years ago today on January 18, 1917, just four months before his 89th birthday.

Educated in Scotland, Murray spent the majority of his life in South Africa as a pastor and teacher. He would often make trips to the Keswick Convention (when it was still healthy) to speak on the “deeper life” and proclaim Jesus Christ as the center and focus of the Christian life. He was also a prolific author writing more than 240 books throughout his lifetime—focusing on prayer, intimacy with God, the centrality of Jesus Christ, abiding and surrender, humility, and other major themes of the Christian life.

Andrew Murray’s Influence On Me

Few people in Christian history has had such a large impact on my life as Andrew Murray. I have often joked that he, along with Oswald Chambers, Samuel Brengle, Ian Thomas, and AW Tozer, are my “snuggle buddies.” These are the guys in recent Christian history that I love to “snuggle up to” with a cup of tea, a warm blanket, and one of their books—as I ponder their incredible insights into God’s Word and the Christian life. Each of these men of God, though now dead, are kindred spirits and have become some of my best friends and favorite people in the world.

Murray continually reminds me that the Christian life is marked by the life and character of Jesus Christ—and that intimacy with Jesus is endless. One of my favorite quotes by him is:

You will ask me, are you satisfied? Have you got all you want? God forbid. With the deepest feeling of my soul I can say that I am satisfied with Jesus now; but there is also the consciousness of how much fuller the revelation can be of the exceeding abundance of His grace. Let us never hesitate to say, “This is only the beginning.”

I am deeply grateful for all God has done in and through the life of Andrew Murray. His influence and legacy upon the Church these past hundred years are still making an impact in people like me—his life story encourages and challenges me, his writings stir my soul and press me deeper into Jesus, and though I’ve never personally met him, he has become a dear friend.

The Church today needs more men (and women) like Andrew Murray—people of humility, all-out obsession and focus on Christ, and someone who will face the toughest circumstances and proclaim loudly the Gospel for the sake of Jesus Christ.

While many of his books are scattered across my bookshelves and his words often find their way into my own, I don’t want to forget or forsake the influence a single man indwelt by the Spirit of God can have upon culture and the world.

Want To Meet Andrew?

If you are unacquainted with Andrew Murray, here are my suggested Murray books to start with. I pray that as you read his simple but profound words, you will experience a burning passion and hunger within your soul, you will see Jesus more clearly, and you will build and ground your life upon Jesus Christ.

• Humility
• Absolute Surrender
• Abide in Christ
• Deeper Christian Life
• With Christ in the School of Prayer
• Experiencing the Holy Spirit
• Daily In His Presence (daily devotional)
• The Practice of God’s Presence (a collection of several of Murray’s writings)

__________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, deeperChristian will receive an affiliate commission (with no additional cost to you). It is a great way to support the work and ministry of deeperChristian. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we use personally and believe will add value to our readers. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”