What A Friend We Have In Jesus is an old Christian Hymn. The song started out as a poem written by Joseph M. Scriven in 1855 sent to his Irish mother who missed her son living in Canada.
In 1868 Charles Crozat Converse and William Elden Bolcom composed the tune.
Camilla, my wife has been playing this on the keyboard for a while and I liked the tune so much I thought it would be a good one for the Folk Den.
I’ve made a video of me playing it on a Martin D-12-45 given to me by my friend Bill Lee.
Merry Christmas 2020!!!
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.