Consider these verses, written by Joseph Scriven for his mother during a time a sorrow:
- 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. Can we find a friend so faithful, Who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness; Take it to the Lord in prayer.
- Are we weak and heavy-laden, Cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge— Take it to the Lord in prayer. Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In His arms He’ll take and shield thee, Thou wilt find a solace there.
- Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear; May we ever, Lord, be bringing All to Thee in earnest prayer. Soon in glory bright, unclouded, There will be no need for prayer – Rapture, praise, and endless worship Will be our sweet portion there.
These words form a song that beautifully illustrates Philippians 4:4-7. I was very excited to discover verse four when searching the internet – it’s not usually sung, so I was unaware of it. There are many songs that sweetly describe God or portions of scripture, but I wonder how often we take the time to stop and think about the words. So here is your challenge:
Worship Challenge #5
Ponder these words. Read them out loud like a poem. Look up any words you don’t know. Decide if you agree with each line. Think about how these words illustrate Philippians 4:4-7. Does this poem help you apply that scripture to your life?
For children: Read the poem one verse at a time, and make sure they understand what it means. Have them look up any words they don’t know. Explain to them that in order to sing songs for God (worship), we need to understand what we are singing. (All four verses may be too much depending on the child, feel free to only do some of them or spread the activity out over a few sessions)
Here is a link to a recording of an arrangement of the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XRmGEbH0qs
Things to ponder
Why is it important to think about and understand the songs we sing?
“Jesus knows our every weakness” Does this comfort you or make you uneasy? Why?
How often is taking your troubles and worries to God the first thing you do?