This is hymn 22 of the Open Heavens daily devotion written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
HYMN 22: SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER
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!
SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER HYMN COMMENTARY
Beloved in Christ, in the relentless rush and “world of care” that demands our attention, this hymn offers a sacred counter-rhythm. “Sweet Hour of Prayer” is not merely a song about prayer; it is an invitation into an experience. It beautifully portrays prayer not as a duty, but as a divine summons to intimate communion—a sweet, restorative retreat where burdens are lifted, battles are won, and the soul finds its true home in the Father’s presence.
Why Sing This Hymn
We sing this hymn to cultivate a longing for deep, sustained communion with God. It reframes prayer from a transactional request line into a relational sanctuary, reminding us of its practical power, its shared joy, and its foundation in God’s faithful character. It is an anthem for those who have discovered that the most productive hour is often the one spent on our knees.
1. It is a Hymn of Divine Invitation and Personal Relief (Verse 1)
Prayer is first presented as a gracious call: it “calls me from a world of care.” It is an escape, not from responsibility, but from anxiety. We are bid to come boldly to “my Father’s throne”—a place of both majesty and familial love—where we can transparently “make all my wants and wishes known.” The testimony that follows is powerfully practical: prayer provides “relief” in distress and is a means of spiritual victory, allowing the soul to escape “the tempter’s snare.” The “sweet hour” is not an optional luxury; it is a necessary refuge for survival and sanity.
2. It is a Hymn of Communal Joy and Anticipatory Longing (Verse 2)
This verse reveals that the sweetness of prayer is both personal and corporate. The singer shares in the “bliss” of fellow believers whose “anxious spirits burn with strong desires for thy return!”There is a holy camaraderie among those who value this communion. Together, they “hasten to the place”—not necessarily a physical location, but the spiritual posture—“where God my Savior shows his face.” Prayer is eagerly anticipated, a station gladly taken, because it is there we behold Him. It transforms duty into delight.
3. It is a Hymn of Confident Faith and Complete Surrender (Verse 3)
Here, the hymn uses the beautiful metaphor of prayer having “wings” that carry our petitions to God. Our confidence to pray is not in our eloquence, but in God’s “truth and faithfulness” to receive and answer according to His perfect will. Prayer is our obedient response to His command: “he bids me seek his face.” Our part is to “believe his word, and trust his grace.” This belief leads to the ultimate release: “I’ll cast on him my every care” (1 Peter 5:7). The sweet hour of prayer is where the transfer of burdens from our shoulders to His mighty hands is completed.
A Word for Your Spirit Today
Have you allowed your prayer life to become hurried, shallow, or inconsistent? Has the “world of care” drowned out the call to the Father’s throne? Let this hymn rekindle a holy desire within you.
See your time of prayer not as another item on a checklist, but as a sweet, scheduled escape to where your Savior shows His face. Do you feel the tempter’s snare tightening? Hasten to that place. Are you carrying a care that is bending your spirit? Use this hour to cast it upon Him, winging it to the throne on the prayers He Himself invites.
Begin to think of it as your sweet hour—a non-negotiable appointment of relief, joy, and warfare. Whether it is sixty minutes or a focused sixty seconds, let it be sweet. For in that place, you exchange your anxiety for His peace, your weakness for His strength, and your loneliness for the joy of His face.
Answer the call. Your sweet hour of prayer awaits.
In the name of Jesus, our access to the Father, Amen.
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