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What a friend we have in Jesus

A popular hymn, “What a Friend we Have in Jesus,” originally written as a poem called, “Pray without Ceasing,” in 1855, is still sung by many Christian musicians and in churches today. The author, Joseph Medlicott Scriven, a Christian Irish immigrant to Canada, wrote the poem to comfort his mother at home in Ireland who was extremely ill. Joseph also had struggles in life and the poem, later set to music, became an inspiring testimony of the solace of the Lord in extreme times of trouble.

Having a friend in Jesus is vital to everyday life

Joseph Scriven was originally educated at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland and poor health prevented him from continuing on to further education. After the death of his fiancée in 1844 the day before their wedding, he moved to Ontario Canada, where he taught school. In 1855 he experienced the death of a second fiancée and struggled with depression. As a member of the Plymouth Brethren, he then devoted his life serving the poor and physically disabled. It was in 1888 that he died by drowning in a local lake (1)(2).

If we look at the words of the hymn, “What a Friend we have in Jesus,” we see that having a friend in Jesus was an important part of Joseph’s life. There are three verses, and the words to each verse appear to detail a different part of his relationship with Jesus as a friend. These three areas also provide us a reference to how thinking about what a friend we have in Jesus applies to our lives as well.

What a friend we have in Jesus helps with our Spiritual needs

Looking at the first verse, we see that it tells us how having a friendship with Jesus is vital to our Spiritual needs.

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

By acknowledging what a friend we have in Jesus, we are reminded how we have a relationship with Jesus that starts with what He did on the cross for us. Through His death, He took upon Himself the “sins and griefs” we have that make up our unsaved destiny to spend eternity in Hell. Jesus bore our sins and took away our griefs, so we do not have to bear them. We carry “everything to God in prayer” for our Spiritual needs through Jesus as our faithful friend.

The Lord speaks to us about this Spiritual part of our relationship with Jesus we should pursue as follows:

Friends will sacrifice themselves for one another’s needs because of love: John 15:12-13. “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Friends trust and believe in one another: James 2:23. “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.”
Friends will help bear each other’s burdens: Galatians 6:1-2. “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. ² Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”

What a friend we have in Jesus helps with our emotional needs

Looking at the second verse, we see that it tells us how having a friendship with Jesus is vital to our emotional needs:

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

By acknowledging what a friend we have in Jesus, we are reminded how we can share our emotional needs with the Lord. Whether it is depression, anger, sorrows, discouragement or just a generalize bad attitude, He knows what we are dealing with. He is always there to talk to, no matter what time of day or night we need to take anything to Him as our faithful friend.

The Lord speaks to us about this emotional part of our friendship with Jesus we should pursue as follows:

Friends are kind and tenderhearted to each other: Ephesians 4:32. “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
Friends inspire one another to become better: Proverbs 27:17. “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”
Friends help us to always be content with what have: Hebrews 13:5. “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.“

What a friend we have in Jesus helps with our physical needs

Looking at the third verse, we see that it tells us how having a friendship with Jesus is vital to our physical needs:

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 will find a solace there (in his arms)

By acknowledging what a friend we have in Jesus, we are reminded how we can share our physical needs with the Lord. It might be the physical difficulties involved with making a living or caring for the physical needs of our family. In any case, Jesus is our refuge Who provides for all our needs in ways that we may not have considered. He can influence our relationships with friends that we have fallen out with to make things right with them no matter how complex. Jesus can guide, protect, and provide for us as our faithful friend.

The Lord speaks to us about this physical part of our friendship with Jesus we should pursue as follows:

Friends help and protect us in tough times: Hebrews 13:6. “So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”
Friends stick close to us when dealing with personal attacks and evil influences: James 4:7-8. “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you…”
Friends help provide for each other’s food and clothing needs: Luke 12:22-31. And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. ²³ The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? ²⁵ And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? ²⁶ If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? ²⁷ Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ²⁸ If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? ²⁹ And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. ³⁰ For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. ³¹ But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Closing thoughts

There are so many more references in God’s Word about what a Friend we have in Jesus. His friendship with us might be seen with workers in a ministry that help with the physical needs of food, clothing, or housing. Or it might be seen with those sharing the gospel of salvation and teaching from God’s Word or worshipping and singing together in Spirit and in truth. Or, it might even be seen with those doing Christ-centered Biblical counseling to help others deal with the emotional issues of life. No matter what the situation, we can become “One in Christ Jesus” as friends.

In closing, the song, “What a Friend we have in Jesus” really does remind us of how our friend Jesus is there for us and wants to help provide for our physical, emotional, and Spiritual needs. In all cases, the love of our Savior and Friend, Jesus, is our motivator, our security, and our provider to do all things through Christ.

Philippians 4:10-13. “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. ¹² I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. ¹³ I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Click on the image above to visit https://archive.org where you can play the MP3 of “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”, sung by the Gaither trio. We do not own this content and you may stream it for free from https://archive.org.

(1) https://hymnary.org/person/Scriven_JM

(2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_M._Scriven

Dr. Michael L. Williams, Head of Ministry Operations and Technology at Christianity Every Day, is a Christ-centered Author, Educator, Biblical Counselor and Advisor. He is ordained in Pastoral Ministry and formerly the founding Pastor of Selah Mountain Ministries, a church started along with his wife, Pamela Rose, after several years of pastoral experience and training in Biblical Counseling. Selah Mountain provided Biblical counseling and education to the public on how to overcome life issues Biblically on topics such as anger management, marriage, addictions, and other subjects – often referred to as mental illnesses. To learn more about Dr. Mike visit the About page.