Lyrics
In the morning when I rise
In the morning when I rise
In the morning when I rise
Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have
All this world
Give me Jesus
When I am alone
When I am alone
Oh, when I am alone
Give me Jesus
One thing I ask
This I seek
That I may dwell in Your house
All the days of my life
When I come to die
When I come to die
Oh, when I come to die
Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have
All this world
Give me Jesus
...
Original Version
This page covers a cover recording of the song. See the original: Give Me Jesus by Fernando Ortega lyrics.
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
Give Me Jesus joins a traditional gospel refrain to a direct biblical prayer for God’s presence. Morning, solitude, and death mark three very different moments, yet each receives the same answer: Christ is the one treasure worth choosing above the world. The repetition makes that preference sound settled rather than temporary. Its plain language also gives the song the character of a personal confession offered in worship.
The added prayer, “One thing I ask,” closely echoes Psalm 27:4 and its desire to dwell in the Lord’s house and behold his beauty. Philippians 3:8 offers a related comparison, where knowing Christ surpasses every other gain. Psalm 73:25 similarly asks what could be desired on earth besides God. Together, these passages clarify the refrain’s contrast between Jesus and “all this world.” The lyric moves across the whole span of life without changing its central request. Whether at the day’s beginning, in isolation, or at life’s end, devotion to Jesus remains the song’s singular priority and source of hope.
Related Scripture
- Psalm 27:4 David asks to dwell in the Lord’s house all the days of his life.
- Philippians 3:8 Paul counts every gain as loss compared with knowing Christ.
- Psalm 73:25 The psalmist declares that nothing on earth is desired besides God.