A man praying (Photo Credits: fggam.org)

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!

This is the opening stanza of the famous Christian hymn “What A Friend We Have In Jesus.” If you dig into its lyrics, it will give you the peace of mind that you are not alone in this world. Even if you feel you’re left out and forsaken by other people, still, you have someone to cling on and that is Jesus Christ. You may not see and hold Him physically but He is always present and is right there beside you. If you take Jesus into your life, He will bear your sins and griefs as long as you trust and believe in Him.

Just a like real friend, Jesus is there to listen to you. Through prayers, you can tell Him all your burdens, problems, shortcomings. The only difference of Him from your friends is that He always listens no matter what happens. Truly, Jesus is our most reliable friend, anytime, and anywhere. Praise the Lord for His Son. Hallelujah!

Alabama (Photo Credits: thealabamaband.com)

Many artists have sung this song. The American band Alabama has its own rendition of the hymn. The band is known for its gospel songs and how it makes every song heartfelt and sensational. Aside from its hit “Angels Among Us“, Alabama takes on “What A Friend We Have In Jesus” and makes it more meaningful with its own version.

About the Hymn

A popular Christian hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” was originally penned by Irish poet Joseph M. Scriven as a poem in 1855. He wrote it to comfort his mother who was in Ireland while he was in Canada. In its original publication, the poem was anonymously credited. Scriven only got the full credit of the piece after 25 years of publication.

In 1868, “What A Friend We Have In Jesus” was made into a song and its melody was composed by American lawyer Charles Crozat Converse who, at that time, composes church songs. Furthermore, William Bolcom was the one responsible for composing the setting of the hymn.

The song became a popular hymn in different parts of the world. It has been covered by various artists and translated in different languages. The Handbook to the Lutheran Hymnal states,

“In spite of the fact that this hymn, with its tune, has been criticized as being too much on the order of the sentimental gospel type, its popularity remains strong, and the hymn retains a place in modern hymnals.”

Watch and listen to Alabama as they perform a heartfelt rendition of “What A Friend We Have In Jesus” below:

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