What a Friend We Have in Jesus

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?
Psalm 8:3-4 (NIV)

Before I could read, I stood by my mother singing What a Friend We Have in Jesus. I hum just reading the title. Recently I couldn’t sing because of a cough so I prayed the lyrics and, for the first time in a long time, they touched my soul.

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
– Joseph Scriven

What an amazing friend! Jesus is our faithful friend who knows our thoughts and weaknesses yet cares deeply about our lives. While amazing and true, those aren’t the lyrics that drew my attention.

What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer. (tweet this)

What an incredible privilege! Can you even fathom that the God of the universe listens to our prayers? He invites us to share our struggles, sadness, and isolation. God wants to lighten our load. He provides a safe refuge. It’s a promise.

What needless anxiety we suffer! We forfeit peace by managing our troubles by ourselves instead of bringing them to Him. God promises to help us face challenges and resist temptation. We just need to pray.

We forfeit peace by carrying our troubles instead of lifting them up to Jesus. (tweet this)

What amazes you about having a friendship with Jesus?
Do you forget to pray sometimes? If so, why?

#SeedsofScripture @Cathy_Chung #prayabouteverything #withGodshelp #friendinJesus

Here’s the entire hymn:

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

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.

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.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
There will be no need for prayer—
Rapture, praise, and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there.
Joseph M. Scriven

6 Comments

  1. J.D. Wininger on October 28, 2019 at 8:08 PM

    It certainly is a privilege to pray and bring our petitions to the Lord Ms. Cathy. I was humming the lyrics as I read your title too ma’am. 🙂

    • CathyChung on October 29, 2019 at 11:34 AM

      Sometimes I can’t get a tune out of my head. This one is a good one though.

  2. Marilyn Nutter on October 29, 2019 at 6:57 AM

    Thanks, Cathy. The line that always resonates with me is, “Oh what peace I often forfeit because I don’t take everything to God in prayer.”

    • CathyChung on October 29, 2019 at 11:33 AM

      Me too! We needlessly worry and stress when we could find peace with God.

  3. Julie Lavender on October 30, 2019 at 3:02 PM

    I love knowing that we can carry all our cares to God – big or small – and He promises to hear our every concern! Thanks for sharing, and, I also love the idea to use the hymn words spoken as a prayer, in addition to or instead of as song lyrics. Cool way to think of that!

    • CathyChung on October 30, 2019 at 8:34 PM

      Julie, I can’t read music so when it’s an unfamiliar hymn I read the words as a prayer. It is powerful. When I sing I sometimes don’t ‘mean’ what I’m singing. Reading them sheds all kinds of light on the meaning of the lyrics.

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