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Listen while you read: "What A Friend We Have In Jesus"1 (Lyrics) |
Jeremiah 29:12 – Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. (NKJV)
Some time ago, I was asked to visit a lady in the hospital. She had just survived a serious operation, she was in extreme pain, and she was worried about her husband who was at home alone and not coping well. She wanted to tell me about all the problems that were bothering her, and I listened to her. After she was through, we had a prayer together, and she told me that she felt a lot better. Although she was still in the hospital and nothing had really changed, we had told God about it, and she felt better.
Turning over to God in faith the things that are bothering us makes a huge difference in our lives.
Even Jesus had times when He needed to turn His problems over to God — people just did not understand Him. In Luke chapter 6, we find the story about the religious authorities taking Him to task because His disciples were picking some grain on the Sabbath. On another Sabbath, He taught in the synagogue, and there was a man there with a withered hand. The Pharisees suspected that Jesus might do something about this, and they watched Him closely. Sure enough, He healed the man's hand.
Luke 6:11 – But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. (NKJV)
They were upset with Jesus, and that bothered Him. He tried to explain His position to them, but they just would not listen. He had this need to talk to His Father in heaven about the things that were bothering Him. The next verse says:
Luke 6:12 – Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. (NKJV)
When we have problems, we, too, can approach God and talk to Him in prayer. Some of us may have a friend or a member of our family or our church with whom we can discuss things and pray about them. Others of us may have no earthly person with whom we are able to share. But all of us have our Friend in heaven Who will listen to us at any time under any circumstance.
As a well-known hymn says so beautifully:
- 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!
– Joseph Scriven, 1820-1886
Prayer: Our Father in heaven, we do admit that so often we try to do things on our own — times when we don't open our hearts to You. We pray that we will always be aware that we can come to You with all our problems, and our thanks as well, and we can know that You will listen. We offer this prayer in Jesus' name. Amen.
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daughter: "Update May 19, 2025: Please keep praying for our daughter. She has another health concern which we..." 
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A comforting reminder Joel.
An excellent reminder that we do not have to go it alone. Thank you.
Thank you, Joel, for this reminder to turn our problems over to the Lord Jesus. Blessings.
Good morning Joel!! Thank you for reminding me the value and need for continuous prayer!!
Good morning….and thank you for another timely reminder of what Jesus is and does for us!! Have a blessed and safe day. Praise the Lord in all you do and think!
Good Morning! Thank you for Talking to God!
It is always a mystifying time to be in the covenant love of God! Let’s keep talking to God wherever we are! Blessings!
Joel – thank you for this devotional. I never thought before of when Jesus went away to pray that He also needed to share his burdens with his Father. I don’t know what I expected he was praying about, but this has been a real revelation for me. May God Bless you and please continue to write.
Dear Joel,
I have been reading The Presbyterian Daily Devotional for a number of years now. I enjoy your devotional very much and would like to thank you for your contributions.
Many blessings to you.
Hi Joel,
I could have written this myself.
Interesting how two people can think so much along the same line though they have never met.
Bless you.
Dear Joel,
Thank you for a very fine devotional. I appreciate its reminders summed in the prayer.
We pray that we will always be aware that we can come to You with all our problems, and our thanks as well, and we can know that You will listen.
Keep writing.
I loved you devotional today about prayer. I am a Stephen Minister in my church and what you describe in your devotional is exactly what our task is. In difficult times, we sit with a grieving or hurting person and just listen! We don’t give solutions, we are not counselors, we are trained to listen – and definitely to pray with and for our care receiver! Very often that is exactly what they need, just a listening ear, and a caring heart. Then take the difficulty to God!
Thank you, thank you!
Dear Joel,
I have to tell you what a blessing your devotional has been to me this morning. I am often told it isn’t right to expect God to be interested in each of us and I am always asking God for things. What I ask for is wisdom and for him to send his Holy Spirit to draw loved ones to know Jesus. I do take the words of the song seriously and it has been my fortress through my 80+ years. I find it awesome that we can have access to our Creator God through Jesus.
Thank you for this comforting and reassuring message.
(B.C.)
Thank you for another excellent devotional reminder that we can and should take all of our concerns to Our Heavenly Father at any time!
Do continue to write.