1 Cor. 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Php 4:6-7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (7) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
I have read these verses hundreds of times during the course of my walk with the Lord. I hesitate to call myself a Christian these days because the term is so loosely used. I am not just a Christian; Christ has my heart, and my life totally revolves around Him. Today’s Christianity has been diluted with the world’s desires; it hurts my heart to see Christ abused this way.
If people only knew what type of Father we have; what type of God we serve! Our God does not leave the born-again believer without help to confront the day’s problems. Today’s verses are packed with powerful comfort! The word “keep” in the Greek means:
φρουρέω phroureō froo-reh’-o From a compound of G4253 and G3708; to be a watcher in advance, that is, to mount guard as a sentinel (post spies at gates); figuratively to hem in, protect: – keep (with a garrison).
The Lord promises to guard my heart and mind through Christ Jesus! Does this penetrate your heart? It surely did mine! No matter how overwhelming my problems are, I can lift them up to the Lord in prayer and His promise to guard my heart is kept. Do you understand that fully, reader? It is as though I have my own sentry posted at the door of my heart, protecting me from total despair.
Friend, if your heart is heavy today, don’t be discouraged. Tell the Lord your all about your sorrows, your pains, or whatever is burdening your heart. He won’t allow you to get so totally discouraged that you give up! He does hear us, and He desires to help us.
Also notice the preface for all of this blessing: but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. There is nothing more lovely than a grateful person. We love when our children recognize the blessings we give them as parents. All the more our Heavenly Father! Be thankful for what God provides for you as this changes the emotion of the heart. When we are grateful and thankful, our heart (the spirit within us) actually changes for the good. We begin to see faith’s embers glow … that shimmering helps our despair turn to hope knowing our Lord is guarding our heart! He’s there to help us throughout the seemingly impossible problems!
Sweet Hour Of Prayer Sweet Hour Of Prayer That Calls Me From A World Of Care And Bids Me At My Fathers Throne Make All My Wants And Wishes Known In Seasons Of Distress And Grief My Soul Has Often Found Relief And Oft Escaped The Tempters 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 Hear To Him Whose Truth Are Faithfulness Engage The Waiting Soul To Bless And Since He Bids Me Seek His Face Believe His Word And Trust His Grace I Will 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 Pisgahs Lofty Height I View My Home And Take My Flight This Robe Of Flesh I Will Drop And Rise To Seize The Everlasting Prize And Shout While Passing Through The Air Farewell Farewell Sweet Hour Of Prayer
William w. walford
The History Behind the Hymn
William W. Walford was a blind preacher of England and the author of the hymn beginning “Sweet hour of prayer.” This hymn first appeared in print in the New York Observer on September 13, 1845.
The Observer contributor who assembled the hymn says:
“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.”
According to Christianity.com, “Beyond the fact that he was blind and the few details recorded by Thomas Salmon, we know little of William Walford. But his hymn, Sweet Hour of Prayer has touched hundreds of thousands of lives on both sides of the Atlantic, expressing the genuine joy he found in prayer.”
A Lesson for Me
Prayer is probably the hardest thing for the believer because whenever we pray, it has power. Think about it for a moment; if you are praying, you are not succumbing to the wiles of the devil. This is why the enemy strives so hard to keep you from prayer! This is why your thoughts wander and you struggle to stay focused. There is power in prayer and the enemy knows it!
1 Thess 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
Col 4:2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
Paul taught us in Ephesians chapter 6 about putting on the whole armour of God. Once he was finished with the armour, he exhorted us to praying always! Just how can we pray always one might wonder? Paul didn’t intend for us to do nothing else but pray.
Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
What I believe he is telling me here is that I should pray about everything and anything. If I want to follow God’s will for my life, I must ask the Father what His will is. These times bring about anxious thoughts but they need not rule my mind. We are told that we can come boldly unto the throne of grace. But just what does that mean? Born-again believers have a wonderful position with the Father. We are His child! Every child comes to his/her earthly father because that child was born into that family. It is the same with us! At the moment of our conversion, we were placed in God’s family and we have a special honor where we can come to Him without worry.
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
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!
Message for today
The Lord wants us to come before Him and tell Him everything that is on our mind. Paul made sure to equip believers with everything we needed in order to walk with the Lord. Just as I go to my spouse with whatever is on my mind, I can go directly to the Father and share with Him what is on my heart.
Phil 4:6-7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (7) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Joh 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
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!
Friend, the Father is perfect in every way. He possesses ultimate grace, ultimate forgiveness and mercy; if we have need of anything, He is the Perfect One to approach with that need! We need the power of prayer ever so much more today! The enemy knows his time is short and his agenda is clearly being revealed to believers world-wide. We absolutely need our “Sweet Hour of Prayer” in order to recognize what is against the will of God. Stay prayed up, believer!
If you are not truly born-again, there is coming a time when it will be too late for you to repent and be saved. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
