What A Friend We Have in Jesus

What A Friend We Have in Jesus

WORDS BY JOSEPH SCRIVEN, MUSIC BY CHARLES CONVERSE, PUBLIC DOMAIN
“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”
– John 15:15 (ESV)

This hymn was originally penned by a preacher named Joseph M. Scriven as a poem to comfort his mother in Ireland as he lived across the ocean in Canada. Prayer is a great privilege whereby we have access to God the Father through Jesus Christ. As believers, Jesus has laid down his life for us, and calls us “friends” (John 15:13-15). With Jesus as our friend, we can go confidently to God in prayer in every circumstance and with every burden we may face. Neglecting prayer can lead to “needless pain” and a loss of “peace.”  Whatever we’re facing, be it “sins… griefs… trials… temptations… troubles… sorrows… cares,” etc., we can be assured that when we bring them before God they are heard because of our friend Jesus who intercedes on our behalf.

Written by Thomas Slawson
Courtesy of ThomasSlawson.com