Prayer Closet Video: I Must Tell Jesus

How far into healing can a hymn take you?

How much closer to realizing the kingdom of God can a single prayer take you?

As you know I grew up in the Baptist church (waaay back in the days before they went all Pat-Buchanan-Crazy) and that is where I learned the room-shaking power that the old school hymns can have.  We certainly didn’t have the drums and guitars kind of church back then, and not too much going on in the way of HolyGhost aerobics (actually… none. They were pretty uptight and mainline.)

But I grew up in my early musical days in an old church building that had a Hammond B3 organ that NEVER got played like the video entry below. It’s gone now (both the old building and the Hammond – I often ask my mom what happened to it but she doesn’t know.) They have big “regular” organ now and a nice baby grand instead, in the “new” building that went up in the mid 70s.

Yet I heard/saw this video on one of the quietest hymns in the Baptist Hymnal and I tought, oh yes! To push a prayer out through your arms and legs into an instrument, that starts out with the “chapter and verse” of the song, and ends up in a great Halleluiah… ah, yes … prayer that leads us both to healing, and to the kingom of God!

I Must Tell Jesus is a simple little hymn from the end of the 19th C., based on 1 Peter 5:7:

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

When ALL else fails, when you have the print of “the wall” on your back because you’re backed up so hard against it, and when you get to the point that the Stuff going on in your life is too much… Oh! children, so simple:  cast that burden on the one who cares SO much for you!  Hand that Stuff over to Jesus (or whoever is your target of prayer) and move on! And if that means you even sit down and slap at the keys of an old B3, then so much the better!

- Amen

I Must Tell Jesus

1. I must tell Jesus all of my trials,
   I cannot bear these burdens alone;
   In my distress He kindly will help me,
   He ever loves and cares for His own.
   • Refrain:
     I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
     I cannot bear my burdens alone;
     I must tell Jesus! I must tell Jesus!
     Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.
2. I must tell Jesus all of my troubles,
   He is a kind, compassionate Friend;
   If I but ask Him He will deliver,
   Make of my troubles quickly an end.
3. Tempted and tried I need a great Savior,
   One who can help my burdens to bear;
   I must tell Jesus, I must tell Jesus:
   He all my cares and sorrows will share.