Sweet Hour Of Prayer
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The hymn “Sweet Hour of Prayer,” United Methodist hymn 496 (GBH 124) was written by William W. Walford, a blind preacher of England. The hymn appeared the first time in the New York Observer of September 13, 1845. The one who contributed the hymn wrote:
“During my residence at Coleshill, Warwickshire, England, I became acquainted with W. W. Walford, the blind preacher, a man of obscure birth and connections and no education, but of strong mind and most retentive memory. In the pulpit he never failed to select a lesson well adapted to his subject, giving chapter and verse with unerring precision, and scarcely ever misplacing a word in his repetition of the Psalms, every part of the New Testament, the prophecies, and some of the histories, so as to have the reputation of knowing the whole Bible by heart.”
Rev. Thomas Salmon, who was the pastor of the Church at Coleshill in 1838, and later moved to the United States, is believed to have been the contributor. He said of the hymn:
“I rapidly copied the lines with my pencil as he uttered them, and sent them for insertion in the Observer if you think them worthy of preservation.”
The hymn is in several American collections, including the Meth. Episcopal Hymnal, 1878, and that the original consists of 4 stanzas of 8 lines.
Please find the four stanzas of “Sweet hour of prayer” below.
- Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief,
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare,
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer! - Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
The joys I feel, the bliss I share,
Of those whose anxious spirits burn
With strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
Where God my Savior shows His face,
And gladly take my station there,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer! - Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face,
Believe His Word and trust His grace,
I’ll cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer! - Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
May I thy consolation share,
Till, from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height,
I view my home and take my flight.
This robe of flesh I’ll drop, and rise
To seize the everlasting prize,
And shout, while passing through the air,
“Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!”
This hymn has been an oasis of comfort, in the desert of worldly troubles for many people. Its words are soothing to the heart, and its tune has a way of bringing calm into the most turbulent situations.
One of the scriptures that inspired “Sweet hour of prayer” is Psalm 55:16-17.
READ Psalm 55:16-17
But I call to God,
and the Lord will save me.
Evening and morning and at noon
I utter my complaint and moan,
and he hears my voice.(Psalm 55:16-17 ESV)
This Psalm, entitled “Cast Your Burden on the Lord,” in the English Standard Version Bible, is an expression of confidence in God’s never failing faithfulness, truthfulness, and salvation. He is ever waiting, if only we will seek Him and trust Him; whatever the situation in which we find ourselves.
Stanza 3, for example, says:
Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face,
Believe His Word and trust His grace,
I’ll cast on Him my every care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
Are you at the point of despair? Are you losing hope? Does it look like everything around you is crumbling? Please go over the words of the hymn, “Sweet Hour of Prayer,” prayerfully, as you wait patiently for God’s salvation.
MEMORY VERSE
“I call to God,and the Lord will save me.”
(Psalm 55:16)
QUESTIONS
- What petitions and cares do you have?
- Why not use your “sweet hour of prayer” to lay them before your Father in heaven?
PRAYER TIP
Father, please help us to know
that you are closer than we
think, and more available
than we can imagine.
CREDITS
HYMNARY.ORG, “Sweet Hour of Prayer” , https://hymnary.org/text/sweet_hour_of_prayer_sweet_hour_of_pray
TIMELESS TRUTHS LIBRARY, “Sweet Hour of Prayer”, Sweet Hour of Prayer > Lyrics | William W. Walford (timelesstruths.org)
URGENT CALL
By nature, we are all sinful, and alienated from God. We ultimately face the wrath of God!
But God in His mercy and love gives us a chance to reverse this trend, join His family, be part of His household, and become His children.
The first step to becoming a member of God’s household is for us to be saved.
Salvation comes through accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Personal Savior.
It is a very personal decision. No one can make that decision for you.
If you make that decision today, there will be great singing and rejoicing in heaven; because one new member has joined the family and household of God!
Do you want to make that decision today?
Please visit “The Believer’s Prayer” for
guidance if you want to make that decision.
We will be happy to hear from you through the contact information on that page.
God richly bless you.
SPECIAL GRATITUDE
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We thank God for counting us worthy to share in His Great Commission; and we thank you for sticking with us through this journey.
God richly bless you.
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