"... I (Jesus) have called you friends...." John 15:15

Did you know that Joseph Scriven penned the song, What a Friend We Have in Jesus? I remember singing that song a lot as a child. “What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!”

How do we cover our sorrow in prayer? Simply begin dialoguing with Jesus about the pain in your life. Tell Him the hurts you are experiencing – just like you would share with your best girlfriend. Allow Him to speak back to you through words of Scripture, songs of inspiration and encouragement, the words of a dear and wise friend, or the simple impression on your mind and spirit that all will be well because He is in control. Take your needs and pain to Him in prayer!

Allow Him to take you and shield you in His arms. Allow Him to be your strength and comfort. I do not know your story, but if you have encountered suffering, as we all have, I am sure you can relate to the pain that must have driven Joseph Scriven to write these words that continue to be sung more than one hundred years later. You are not alone – others have walked your path or one similar to it.

Isaiah 53 reminds us that He “carried our sorrows,” and is “acquainted with grief.” He knows. Oh what a friend we have in the One—Jesus!

• Bible Readings for the Week Ahead:
• Monday: Philippians 4:6
• Tuesday: Philippians 4:6
• Wednesday: Hebrews 4:15-16
• Thursday: James 4:3
• Friday: James 5:16
• Saturday: 1 John 5:14-15
• Sunday: Ephesians 6:11-18