Sweet Hour of Prayer

Friday, January 13

Sweet Hour of Prayer

Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker. Psalm 95:6

William W. Walford, a blind preacher of England, is the author of the hymn beginning “Sweet hour of prayer.” This hymn first appeared in print in the New York Observer September 13, 1845. William Walford understood the importance of spending quality time with God. Instead of focusing on what he could not do, William Walford saw it as a privilege to spend some time (a blessed hour) talking to God.

Remember, we cannot fully experience what it means to be a Christian until we have intentionally decided to empty ourselves of self so that we can feed the Spirit man and be filled with Christ.

The hymn says:

“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! And oft escaped the tempter’s snare by thy return, sweet hour of prayer!” – William Walford