What A Friend We Have In Jesus Hymn – Joseph Scriven, 1820-1886

What A Friend We Have in Jesus Lyrics

Joseph Scriven, 1820-1886

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.

For more lyrics and stories of famous hymns visit here.

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The Story Behind What a Friend We Have in Jesus Hymn

ONE of the most helpful hymns in popular use is Joseph Scriven’s hymn on the friendship of Jesus, the comforter and burden-bearer.

Scriven was a native of Dublin, Ireland, born in 1820.

He graduated from Trinity College in his native city. At the age of twenty-five, he emigrated to Canada and lived there until his death at Port Hope on Lake Ontario, October 10, 1886.

When a young man, he was engaged to be married to a lady whom he had known and loved for a long time.

All preparations had been made for the wedding ceremony and the date had been fixed.

But shortly before the wedding day arrived his promised bride accidentally drowned, and he was plunged into the deepest sorrow.

From this sad experience came a deep sense of his dependence upon Christ and of the great truth so helpfully expressed in his lines:

What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!

Out of the intense sympathy wrought in his heart by this experience, he wrote the hymn to comfort his mother in her own sorrow and sent it to her in Ireland.

How it came to be first published is not known, as he had not intended it for widespread use.

Indeed, for some time after it was printed its authorship was unknown, sometimes being incorrectly attributed to Dr. Horatius Bonar.

After Scriven’s death, however, he became recognized as the author of the hymn that has blessed so many thousands of believers.

Joseph M Scriven - What a friend we have in Jesus
Joseph M Scriven

What A Friend We Have in Jesus YouTube Video

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