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What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Words by Joseph M. Scriven (1819–1886) · Public domain

The words

  1. Stanza 1. What a friend we have in Jesus,All our sins and griefs to bear!What a privilege to carryEv’rything to God in pray’r!O what peace we often forfeit,O what needless pain we bear,All because we do not carryEv’rything to God in pray’r!

  2. Stanza 2. Have we trials and temptations?Is there trouble anywhere?We should never be discouraged,Take it to the Lord in pray’r.Can we find a friend so faithful,Who will all our sorrows share?Jesus knows our ev’ry weakness;Take it to the Lord in pray’r.

  3. Stanza 3. Are we weak and heavy laden,Cumbered with a load of care?Precious Saviour, still our refuge,Take it to the Lord in pray’r;Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?Take it to the Lord in pray’r;In his arms he’ll take and shield thee;Thou wilt find a solace there.

Text as printed in Christ in Song (Revised and Enlarged), 1908, no. 643. Public domain. www.praylock.com/hymnal/what-a-friend-we-have-in-jesus

About this text

Words
Joseph M. Scriven, 1819–1886
Source
Christ in Song (Revised and Enlarged) (1908), no. 643. See the 1908 page
Credited in 1908 as
H. Bonar
This wording in print by
1875 (Calvary Songs)
Public domain
Printed in 1908; the writer died in 1886, more than 100 years ago.

Notes on this text

  • The 1908 book credits the words to “H. Bonar”. They are by Joseph M. Scriven, who wrote them in 1855.
  • The copyright line on the 1908 page (1892, C. C. Converse) is for Converse’s music. That copyright line covers the music, which isn’t on this page.

Index entry: Hymnary.org. Checked against the page scan on .

More hymns

All 12 hymns from 1908Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal index

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