It hangs above my altar
Like they hung him from a cross
I keep one in my wallet
For the times I feel lost
I feel lost
In a wooden frame with splinters
Where my family kneels to pray
And if you listen close
You'll hear the words he used to say

I've got a picture of Jesus
In his arms so many prayers rest
We've got a picture of Jesus
And with him we shall be forever blessed
Forever blessed
Forever blessed

Now it has been spoken
He would come again
But would we recognize
This king among men
There was a man in our time
His words shine bright like the sun
He tried to lift the masses
And was crucified by gun

He was a picture of Jesus
With him so many prayers rest
He is a picture of Jesus
In his arms so many prayers
So many prayers
So many prayers rest
With him we shall be forever blessed
Forever blessed
Forever blessed

Some days have no beginning
And some days have no end
Some roads are straight and narrow
And some roads only bend
So let us say a prayer
For every living thing
Walking towards a light
From the cross of a king

We long to be a picture of Jesus
Of Jesus
In his arms - In his arms so many prayers rest
I long to be a picture of Jesus
With him we shall be forever blessed
With him we shall
With him we shall be forever blessed
Oh I long
I've got a picture of Jesus
Mmhh

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Ben Harper's song Picture of Jesus describe the profound impact that the image of Jesus has on the author's life. The first verse talks about how the image of Jesus hanging on the cross is like an altar to the author, and he keeps a picture of Jesus in his wallet to look at when he feels lost. The second verse describes how the author's family kneels to pray in front of a wooden frame with splinters that holds a picture of Jesus. The author says that if you listen closely, you can hear the words that Jesus used to say.

The chorus repeats the line "I've got a picture of Jesus" twice, and then adds "In his arms so many prayers rest." This line suggests that the image of Jesus is a source of comfort and inspiration for those who pray to him. The third verse talks about the idea that Jesus will come again, but asks whether we would recognize him if he did. The author then mentions a man who lived in his time who tried to lift people up, but was killed. This man is also described as a "picture of Jesus."

The final verse of the song reflects on the ups and downs of life, and the idea that we are all walking towards a light from the cross of a king. The author ends by saying that he wants to be a picture of Jesus, and suggests that being with Jesus will bring eternal blessings.

Overall, the lyrics to Picture of Jesus are about the power of faith and the hope that comes from believing in a higher power. The image of Jesus is a central symbol in the song, and represents the love and compassion that the author wants to embody in his own life.

Line by Line Meaning

It hangs above my altar
There is a picture of Jesus hanging above my altar

Like they hung him from a cross
The picture of Jesus reminds me of how he was hung on the cross

I keep one in my wallet
I carry a picture of Jesus in my wallet for comfort when I feel lost

For the times I feel lost I feel lost
The picture is a reminder for me when I feel lost and alone

In a wooden frame with splinters Where my family kneels to pray
The picture is in a wooden frame with splinters, and my family prays while kneeling in front of it

And if you listen close You'll hear the words he used to say
If you listen closely, you can hear the teachings of Jesus

I've got a picture of Jesus In his arms so many prayers rest
We have a picture of Jesus where many prayers have been made and rest in his arms

We've got a picture of Jesus And with him we shall be forever blessed Forever blessed Forever blessed
We have a picture of Jesus, and through him, we will be forever blessed

Now it has been spoken He would come again But would we recognize This king among men
It is said that Jesus will come again, but would we even know it is him?

There was a man in our time His words shine bright like the sun He tried to lift the masses And was crucified by gun
There was a man who tried to spread love and peace like Jesus did, but he was shot and killed

He was a picture of Jesus With him so many prayers rest He is a picture of Jesus In his arms so many prayers So many prayers So many prayers rest With him we shall be forever blessed Forever blessed Forever blessed
He was like a picture of Jesus - with many prayers made and resting in his arms, and through him, we will be forever blessed

Some days have no beginning And some days have no end Some roads are straight and narrow And some roads only bend
Some days and roads in life can be challenging and never-ending or have twists and turns

So let us say a prayer For every living thing Walking towards a light From the cross of a king
We should pray for all living things, walking towards a better life guided by the teachings of Jesus, the king

We long to be a picture of Jesus Of Jesus In his arms - In his arms so many prayers rest I long to be a picture of Jesus With him we shall be forever blessed With him we shall With him we shall be forever blessed Oh I long I've got a picture of Jesus Mmhh
We aspire to be like Jesus, with many prayers resting in our arms. Through him, we will be forever blessed. I long to be like Jesus, and I have a picture of him to remind me.

Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: BEN C HARPER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

Tim Schultz

6y↑10

Bless the lord above Above!!!!!! Than you Jesus for this beautiful song

Auntie Laura

2y↑1

I could listen to this on a loop for the rest of my days. One of the most beautiful songs EVER.

vipelere

13y↑3

A masterpiece !

Mouad Cherkaoui

4y↑2

Now it has been spoken
He would come again
But would we recognize
This king among men
There was a man in our time
His words shine bright like the sun
He tried to lift the masses
And was crucified by gun