1
What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
2
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
3
Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
In His arms He'll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
In His arms He'll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.
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Parkersburg, WV, United States
Glory to God in the highest, he is my refuge, he is my peace, he is my comforter, he is the answer, he is my strength, he is my saviour, he is my everything and more and I would be nothing without him. I thank him for his love and grace and mercy, for not giving up on me even when I wanted to give up on myself. For anyone who doesn't know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lird and Saviour I encourage you to seek the LORD wholeheartedly give him your burdens, talk to him about all your troubles. He knows everything about you and he loves you anyway and endlessly. Invite the Holy Spirt into your life by asking for forgiveness in repentance of your sins so Jesus can live in your heart and give your everllife, eternal salvation is free to all as he paid that debt for us all on the cross through his sacrifice. He defeated death and hell so that we all may live forever in the kingdom of heaven. There is nothing more important than giving your heart to the Lord, he is waiting for you🙏🏼🤟🏼
United Kingdom
The hymn *“What a Friend We Have in Jesus”* traces back to a deeply personal story of grief and faith. It was inspired by a poem written by Joseph Medlicott Scriven, a man born in Ireland who endured profound loss.
Joseph fell in love and was engaged to be married, but the day before their wedding, his fiancée tragically died. Heartbroken, he left Ireland for Canada, hoping for a fresh start. In time, he found love again with a woman named Eliza—but heartbreak struck once more when she, too, passed away just weeks before their wedding.
As if that weren’t enough, Joseph later received word that his mother was gravely ill. Unable to afford the journey back home, he did the only thing he could—he wrote her a letter. In that letter, he included the words that would later become the beloved hymn: *“What a friend we have in Jesus…”*
Those words weren’t written from a place of comfort, but from deep pain. Yet even in overwhelming grief, Joseph spoke of Jesus as a faithful friend—someone he trusted completely, someone he could turn to with every sorrow.
That’s what makes this hymn so powerful. It’s not just poetry—it’s testimony. A reminder that even in our darkest moments, we are not alone
The question it leaves us with is simple, but searching:
Can we say the same?
AkwaIbom/Uyo, Nigeria
The sang this song today at Open Heaven, Truly Jesus is the only one we can tell our problem to. I'm truly bless by the Song
Kennedy, AL, United States
We sing this hymn often in our little church. The words bless me each and every time. So grateful to be able to carry it all to God in prayer!
Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria
Jesus is the only answer to every problem
This song reminds me of the bountiful LOVE and mercy of GOD.
Take your challenges to GOD and only him.
Warri, Nigeria
Churches have practically abandoned hymns and it shouldn’t be so. Hymn worship is special and spiritual so it should be encouraged once again in our various churches. Peace and love
Bristol, City Of Bristol, United Kingdom
This is a particular favourite of mine. It's a shame that the sung worship in our church service consists almost entirely of modern worship songs. I've recently written to our Worship Team leader and she has promised to bring the matter up in their next meeting. I'm praying that they'll decide to introduce more hymns. I know that there are plenty of others in the church who feel the same way, especially the elderly members.
Dallas, TX, United States
I love the old hymns too. I remember Momma singing them around the house & playing her piano too. Miss her much! 💟
Tahlequah, Ok, United States
I haven’t thought about hymns like this in forever but when the Holy Spirit gives me a song… I’ll stand on it. What beautiful and pure hymns we used to sing. ❤️
Owasso, OK, United States
This hymn, as many others, are really devotionals set to music. They reiterate Biblical truth and because they are set to music the truths they proclaim stay in our mind and we internalize the powerful, Godly message. Oh, how I miss these hymns as part of our church service and regret that a generation of people no longer know these Biblical truths taught in hymns like this one.