Lyrics
Verse 1
In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
Give me Jesus.
Chorus
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
Just give me Jesus.
Verse 2
When I am alone,
When I am alone,
When I am alone,
Give me Jesus.
Chorus (Repeat)
Verse 3
When I come to die,
When I come to die,
When I come to die,
Give me Jesus.
Chorus (Repeat)
Outro
Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
You can have all this world,
You can have all this world,
Just give me Jesus.
Other Versions of Give Me Jesus
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
"Give Me Jesus" is built on one plea repeated across three moments of a life. The opening lines place the request at the start of each day, "In the morning, when I rise," then in solitude, "When I am alone," and finally at the end of life, "When I come to die." Each time the answer is the same: "Give me Jesus."
Between those verses the refrain sets Jesus against the whole world: "You can have all this world, just give me Jesus." The exchange is stated plainly, with no argument attached, so the repetition itself carries the conviction that nothing else is needed from morning to the last hour. It echoes Jesus' question about what profit there is in gaining the whole world and losing one's soul (Mark 8:36), and Paul's statement that to live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21).
The short, repeated wording follows the pattern of the African American spiritual tradition, where a brief refrain is sung again and again until it becomes a settled confession.
Related Scripture
- Mark 8:36 Asks what profit there is in gaining the whole world while losing one's soul, echoed in the refrain offering the world in exchange for Jesus.
- Philippians 1:21 Describes living as Christ and dying as gain, echoed in the request for Jesus "when I come to die."