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!
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.
“Oh, what peace we often forfeit…”
Joseph Scriven wrote this hymn as a poem to comfort his mother. But it came from deep personal pain—he had lost his fiancée tragically and faced repeated heartbreak.
Instead of turning inward, he turned upward. He found in Jesus not just a Savior—but a friend.
This hymn gently reminds us: we do not have to carry our burdens alone. There is One who invites us to bring everything.
Ask yourself:
- What burdens are you currently carrying alone?
- Why do we hesitate to bring everything to God?
- What would it look like to truly rely on Him in prayer?
What a Friend We Have in Jesus (Prayer & Comfort)