5 Favorite Hymns of Billy Graham

Much has been said about this amazing man since he passed last week. We praise God for Billy Graham’s life and ministry—literally billions have heard the gospel through him.
Though Billy Graham is most known for his preaching, he loved to worship God through song, and hymns were a major part of his crusades.
Here are Billy Graham’s five favorite hymns (with select text), according to Graham himself:

1. What a Friend We Have in Jesus

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!

2. Complete in Thee

Complete in Thee! no work of mine
May take, dear Lord, the place of Thine;
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me,
And I am now complete in Thee.
Yea, justified! O blessed thought!
And sanctified! Salvation wrought!
Thy blood hath pardon bought for me,
And glorified, I too, shall be!

3. I’d Rather Have Jesus

I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands.
I’d rather be led by His nail pierced hand
Than to be the king of a vast domain
Or be held in sin’s dread sway.
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.

4. Just as I Am

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

5. And Can It Be

And can it be that I should gain
An int’rest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me!
Why not dust off one of these beautiful hymns for worship Sunday morning? You could mention beforehand that it was one of Billy Graham’s favorite hymns, offering a nice sense of remembrance for him, as well as a reminder of the great tradition of hymnody tying centuries of Christians together.
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