What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
What a Friend We Have in Jesus
By: Joseph M. Scriven, 1819-1886 (1855)
Listen to this simple piano version as you read, or watch the video complete with lyrics then read. Please make certain to enjoy the video below.
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Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.
We begin our journey through another great hymn today. If we were too boil it all down to a phrase, I suppose we might say “We must regularly take advantage of the opportunity to talk to Jesus about everything because He is our friend”. But we are instead going to spend four weeks to let these stanzas speak deeply to us their powerful truths. Let’s tune our hearts.
Self-Assessment
So as we begin this journey I want you to take a few moments to get a sense of how often you take advantage of the access you have to Jesus? I am not talking about devotions or quiet time, I mean regular conversations with Him. Have you talked to Him today? When was the last time? Do you truly take ALL your sins and griefs to Him? Do you have the peace He affords, or are you carrying needless pain?
Take a few moments and talk to Jesus right now. Ask Him to help you grow in this from where you are right now, to a better place where you take everything to Him. Seriously, ask Him right now.
Jesus
When you think of Jesus what is the first word that comes to mind? That is a bit of unfair question because He is so much, but really, what is that first word or first words. For me, I don’t think it is generally “friend”, but it should absolutely be in the mix if I am to have a complete understanding and experience of Who He really is.
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13 ESV
- That is exactly what Jesus did…laid down His life
- That is exactly what Jesus showed..greater love
- That is what it makes Jesus to us…our friend
A friend like no other. A friend who died to bear all our sins AND griefs. That also makes Him our Savior, but He is more than that. Why is that so hard to believe?
Oh, you believe it do you? Have you been acting like you believe it? Do you take everything to Him, or are you like me, taking the things that seem worthy of His attention and leaving many other things unmentioned?
This really is a mindset more than anything else, but it must begin in the heart. We must believe that we can take everything to Him, or we simply never will.
Are there reasons you do not bring everything to God? What are they? Are you willing to lay them down so that you may instead grab hold of the better reality of bringing it all?
Everything
But I get it. Everything? Really? Yes!
So what are those reasons we do not bring everything to God. I think they all come down to two.
- Our concept of Jesus is too small
- Our concept of ourselves is too big
We start with Jesus. If our concept of Him is too small, then we will not take everything to Him because we are not convinced He can handle it. Now before you dismiss this really consider why you do not bring Him everything. Is it because at some level you think He can not handle it, or does not care, or is unaware of you and your need? Ask the Holy Spirit to make Jesus bigger to you.
We end with ourselves. If our concept of self is too big, then we will not take everything to Him because we are convinced we can handle it. The remedy for this way of thinking is simple, well at least saying the word is…humility.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God…casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7 (ESV)
It still starts with Jesus though. When we are convinced that Jesus cares for us we are willing to cast all our anxieties on Him. When we cast all our anxieties on Him, we are humbling ourselves acknowledging we need His help. When we acknowledge we need His help, we see just how mighty His hand is.
Jesus is your friend. Embrace that reality today! Enjoy the privileges it affords.
Jesus, thank You for being my friend. I embrace the reality today. I want to enjoy all the privileges it affords. Take me deeper in my understanding and experience of that. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
Prayerful Tuning!
Keep coming back and we will work to help you remove the things that may hinder your longing for His return by cultivating an awareness of God’s presence. We will help you tune your heart to live out your worship by providing resources like this to help you acknowledge the greatness of God as you become more Resonant, 7 days a week.
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Video 13.1 Transcript
Welcome to Tuesday Tunings at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s tune our hearts.
What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
No one else could have borne our sins, or would bear our griefs but Jesus. He is the friend we could have never deserved, yet is the truest friend we would ever find. Jesus taught us that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for your friends, then he did it. Thank Him!
We all need a friend who will accept us as we are. A friend to whom we can bring everything, not just the better, shinier parts but the worse, dirtier ones as well. Jesus is such a friend. You may know that, but I failed to practice it. What do you need to bring to Jesus today?
In these two lines we see the positive we fail to lay hold of and the negative we needlessly cling to, peace forfeited and pain borne, all for lack of accessing our friendship with Jesus. What pain do you need to take to Jesus? What peace do you need to receive? Do it right now. Your friend is waiting.
This horizontal worship reminds us to take everything vertical. We do not need to keep carrying the things that have long weighed us down, and likely slowed our progress in our faith journey. Just carry them to Jesus in prayer …and then leave them there.
Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has surfaced in your heart, or just listen to what He is saying to you, then we will sing once more.
Sing
Take the awareness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond. Until next time, be Resonant.
The post Can I Really Pray About Everything? appeared first on Resonant 7.
Image Attributions
Jesus, Friend – https://pixabay.com/photos/jesus-god-holy-spirit-christian-3469896/
Everything to God in Prayer – https://pixabay.com/photos/prayer-hands-church-light-2544994/
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