Everything to God in Prayer

Read |Philippians 4:6|

O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
-Joseph Scriven 

Many hymn writers, despite their pain, found comfort in Jesus Christ and pointed others to his fountain of relief, peace and joy through their music. In the hymn, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus", Joseph Scriven encourages us to sweet solace in Jesus, during a time when he endured intense grief and suffering.

Joseph Scriven was born in County Down, Ireland. After graduating from Trinity College in his native city, he fell in love and was engaged. But, before the date of marriage his fiancé drowned. Overwhelmed with grief, he moved to Canada. While living there he engaged again. Sadly his fiancé became ill, and soon after died before they could be married. Scriven’s heart was again broken, and his faith and belief in Jesus Christ  tested. In his deep grief, pain and anguish, he devoted himself to a life of serving others. 

Several years later his mother became gravely ill, and when he could not afford to travel to Ireland, he penned these words to comfort her; “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!  What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!" He later submitted a copy of this poem to a religious journal, where it was published. Scriven died a few years later, in 1866.

What a friend we have in Jesus reminds us that Jesus Christ is our refuge and strength and a present help in times of trouble. It reminds us that we can turn to Him in whatever situation and He will see us through. It also suggests that we suffer much because we do not tell our most trusted and dearest friend, Jesus Christ about our troubles. In our silence, we fail to gain relief from our anguish because we hold on so dearly to our pain.

Jesus Christ is indeed our friend! John 15:15, NIV  reads, “ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." 

I do personally agree with Scriven because many of the challenges I encountered and suffered could have been avoided or made lighter if I had poured out my heart to the Lord. As I matured in my faith I realized that, apart from dying on the cross for us, prayer is the most powerful weapon Jesus Christ has given to us. We can be certain when we pray fervently that Jesus Christ will come through for us because the Word of God remains faithful, reminding us that we must cast all our cares on him because He cares for us. (1 Peter 5:7). We may not like the answer we receive but our burden will be made lighter. 

It is difficult when we pray and do not get the desired answer. Unanswered prayers challenge our faith and can make us vulnerable to every wind of doctrine. Since Jesus Christ does not give us everything we ask for, our purpose therefore when we pray is to trust Jesus Christ to give us what he knows is best for us. In the “Lord’s Prayer” we pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. (Matthew 6:10). It is when we accept Jesus’ will for our lives then we begin to live victoriously.

Living victoriously in prayer doesn’t promise freedom from trials but it gives us the courage, confidence, and fortitude to press on and overcome them. Living victoriously in prayer requires us to live by faith and not by sight. It is by faith that we enter into the Christian life, and it is through faith that we must live it out as we fellowship with Jesus Christ.

Scriven discovered that he needed to anchor his trust in Jesus Christ in order to find peace for his weary and grief stricken heart and soul. His song continues to encourage us to put our faith in Jesus Christ. Not only in grief do we go to Jesus Christ, but in any and all situations. (Philippians 4:6).

Listen to and be encouraged to live by Scriven's timeless hymn below: