Mid Week Music - Sweet Hour of Prayer

A lovely acapella version of this hymn Sweet Hour of Prayer by Anonymous 4.

No Video on this one:  just a still graphic. 

I don't find it easy to  spend an hour in formal prayer but I just happen to like the music in this.

I don't remember who said that the desire to want to pray is as good as praying itself

and in the Ignatian way of things, paying attention and mindfulness is a way to finding God in all things, in the ordinary and everyday activities too.

Then there is always the excellent Praying 10 minutes a Day by Fr. Austin at A Concord Pastor Comments and the one for Tuesday probably bears more resemblance to the way I normally view prayer than this song. 

Still, it's a nice song and a song is worth a thousand words and looking up the meaning of Mount Pisgah added a few minutes so that might make up an hour.... :-))

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 Saviour 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!”

William W. Walford, 1845 

Background on the author here