Check out this amazing live performance of 'What A Friend We Have In Jesus' by the Voices of Gaither and featuring Ann Downing, Gene McDonald, and Jason Crabb
“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! Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged— take it to the Lord in prayer.”
It is wonderful to hear all the Voices of Gaither performing this lovely hymn at the Mabee Center in Tulsa, OK. And the background of this hymn is also powerful to know.
'What A Friend We Have In Jesus' was written by Joseph Scriven, a transplanted Irishman in Canada. He was born in Ireland in 1819, and he had wealth, education, a devoted family, and a pleasant life in his native country. After college, he established himself as a teacher, fell in love, and was to be married. But his fiancée ended up drowning, and the only place that Joseph found solace was in Jesus.
Joseph then left for Canada to start a new life, and fell in love with a woman named Eliza Rice in the town of Port Hope. But she became sick and also died before Joseph and her were married. Joseph’s faith was the only thing that brought him through this tragic time. After a lot of time spent in prayer, Joseph took a vow of poverty, sold all of his earthly possessions, and vowed to give his life to the physically handicapped and financially destitute. He became known as “The Good Samaritan of Port Hope.”
Later in his life when Joseph became ill, a friend was visiting him when he found a poem beside Joseph’s bed. He asked who had written it, and Joseph responded saying "The Lord and I did it between us.” And after his death, the poem was put to music by Charles Converse and is the hymn we know and love today.
We hope that you enjoyed listening to the Voices of Gaither’s rendition of 'What A Friend We Have In Jesus' today!