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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Mansfield, Ohio, United States
Certainly the writer of this hymn had a lot of griefs to bear. His relief was to take it to the Lord in prayer. Here is his biography.
Joseph Scriven was born in 1819 of prosperous parents in Banbridge, County Down, Ireland. He graduated with a degree from Trinity College Dublin in 1842. His fiancée accidentally drowned in 1843, the night before they were to be married. In 1844, at the age of 25, Scriven left his native country and migrated to Canada, settling in Woodstock, Ontario. He left his country feeling a spiritual calling to serve the Lord in his Plymouth Brethren faith. He only remained in Canada briefly after becoming ill, but returned for good in 1847.
For two or three years he conducted a private school at Brantford. In 1855, while staying with James Sackville in Bewdley, Ontario, north of Port Hope, he received news from Ireland of his mother being terribly ill. He wrote a poem to comfort his mother called "Pray Without Ceasing". It was later set to music and renamed by Charles Crozat Converse, becoming the hymn "What a Friend We Have in Jesus". Scriven did not have any intentions nor dream that his poem would be for publication in the newspaper and later becoming a favorite hymn among the millions of Christians around the world.
About 1857 he moved near to Port Hope, Ontario where he again fell in love and was due to be married, but in August 1860 his fiancée fell ill with pneumonia and died.
He then devoted the rest of his life to tutoring, preaching and helping others.
In 1869 Scriven published a collection of 115 Hymns and other verses which did not include "What a friend".
Scriven drowned in 1886 at age 66. At the time of his death he was very ill with fever, and had been brought to a friend’s home to recover. It was a very hot night, and he may have possibly gone outside to cool down, or to get a drink of cold water from the spring. His friend reported, "We left him about midnight. I withdrew to an adjoining room to watch and pray. You may imagine my surprise and dismay when upon visiting his room I found it empty. All search failed to find a trace of the missing man, until a little after noon his body was discovered in the nearby river, lifeless and cold in death." He was buried next to his second fiancée in her family cemetery near Bewdley.
Benin, Edo/Delta, Nigeria
Thanks indeed.
Calabar South, Cross River State, Nigeria
Love this hymn so much
Houston, Texas, United States
When my sister passed they sang her favorite song: What a friend we have in Jesus. The title is so true. The song is now my favorite. Anytime I hear it I stop and listen. I sing it often. It brings such beautiful peace and comfort. For our very best friend will always be Jesus.
Wi, United States
A favorite song from childhood Sunday school. It still comforts me today ❤️🙏
Nakuru, Rift-Valley, Kenya
What a friend Jesus Is. Am blessed.
Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
Real song in everybody's life !
Pretoria, South Africa
What a friend indeed he is to me. That he would take the punishment that I deserve just to save me from the wrath to come! That he would redeem me from the curse of the law of Moses, so that I could receive the blessing that he deserves on my behalf! That he would allow himself to be forsaken by the Father, so that I could be reconciled to God forever! I think that makes him a friend, understatement :)
Lagos, Delta State, Nigeria
Wow this is so amazing 😍🤩 I love the song 😇😇😇🥹🥹🥹
Wow! This is a comfort message