🎵Sweet Hour of Prayer🎵
Acts 3:1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
This hymn honors the peace and joy that come from being in touch with God, our Savior, through sincere prayer.
Author: William W Walford (1772-1850)
Hymn History:
William W. Walford was a blind preacher of England and the author of the hymn “Sweet Hour of Prayer.” This hymn first appeared in print in the New York Observer on September 13, 1845.
Very little is known about William Walford other than the fact that he was blind. However, his hymn, Sweet Hour of Prayer, which captures the sincere delight he had in prayer, has impacted hundreds of thousands of people across the Atlantic.
From 1838 to 1842, Rev. Thomas Salmon (1800–1854) was the pastor of the Congregational Church in Coleshill, Warwickshire, England. When he returned to New York, he sent the following note along with the lyrics to “Sweet Hour of Prayer” to The New York Observer:
“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.”
Around 1860, about fifteen years later, William Bradbury, a composer from New York, wrote the music to this song. Slowly but surely, the song’s popularity grew. In 1878, a Methodist hymnal published it for the first time.
This hymn teaches us that God often works through our lives in unexpected ways. The song addresses our distress and grief, offering a remedy and hope for relief. It highlights the importance of speaking to the human condition, offering a remedy, and holding out hope.
Lyrics:
1 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!
2 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!
3 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!
You can listen here:
Resources:
https://hymnary.org/text/sweet_hour_of_prayer_sweet_hour_of_pray
https://www.godtube.com/popular-hymns/sweet-hour-of-prayer/
http://www.limerickcitychurch.com/blog/hymn-history-sweet-hour-of-prayer
