Sweet Hour of Prayer William W. Walford, 1845
3 verses, public domain, free to print and project.
The words
Verse 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.
Verse 2. 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 ev’ry care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer.
Verse 3. 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.
Words copied from New Baptist Hymnal (1926). They were published in 1845, so they are in the public domain in the United States, and your church may print them, show them and sing them without a license.
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The story behind Sweet Hour of Prayer
The earliest known printing of these words is in John Stamp's Christian's Spiritual Song Book, published in London in 1845. Its dedication carries the date January 17, 1845. On September 13, 1845, the New York Observer ran an unsigned front-page article that gave the poem to a blind preacher named W. W. Walford, who had recited it to the writer. Hymnologist William J. Reynolds identified the article's writer as Thomas Salmon. In 1849 John Dowling's Conference Hymns credited the poem to "Walford, the Blind Preacher."
No one has confirmed who Walford was. Researchers found several William Walfords in Warwickshire and could not tie any of them to a blind preacher. The Hymnology Archive says the true author is still unidentified, so this page treats the Walford credit as a tradition.
The first singers paired the words with an older song tune, "Those evening bells." The tune used today is SWEET HOUR by William B. Bradbury. It appeared in Bradbury's Anthem Book in 1860 with the melody in the tenor voice. A year later, in Golden Chain of Sabbath School Melodies, he moved the melody to the soprano and claimed the tune as his own. A note in the 1860 book suggests he may have adapted it from an unnamed source.
William B. Bradbury
1816 to 1868
William Batchelder Bradbury was born at York, Maine, in 1816 and moved with his family to Boston in 1830. He studied in Lowell Mason's singing classes and later led music at the First Baptist Church of Brooklyn and the Baptist Tabernacle in New York. His singing schools helped bring music into New York's public schools. He studied in London and Germany in 1847 and began making Bradbury pianos with his brother Edward in 1851. He edited 59 books of sacred and secular music. His tune BRADBURY, from Oriola (1859), is the one most often sung with "Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us." He died of tuberculosis in 1868.
- Hymnology Archive: Sweet hour of prayer , read 2026-10-16
- Hymnary.org: SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER (Bradbury) , read 2026-10-16
Scripture in Sweet Hour of Prayer
The Bible passages behind the words.
- Matthew 6:6
- Philippians 4:6-7
- 1 Peter 5:7
- Psalm 141:2
- Deuteronomy 34:1
Sweet Hour of Prayer videos
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Sweet Hour of Prayer- Congregational Singing stillamazed27, Congregation
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"Sweet Hour Of Prayer " sung by 200 voice Mass Choir in Classic Hymns album with same title . Classic Hymns, Choir
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Sweet Hour Of Prayer - A Cappella Hymn A Cappella Hymns, A cappella
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Sweet Hour of Prayer - piano instrumental with lyrics Kaleb Brasee, Piano
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Casting Crowns - Sweet Hour of Prayer (Acoustic) Casting Crowns, Modern arrangement
Videos play from YouTube, and nothing loads from YouTube until you press play. A video may sing different verses from the ones printed on this page.
Print and project
Chords and keys
Hymnals print it in D or C.
Questions people ask
Who wrote Sweet Hour of Prayer?
The words first appeared in print in 1845 and were credited to a blind preacher named Walford. Researchers have not identified him, so the author is unconfirmed.
Who wrote the tune?
William B. Bradbury wrote SWEET HOUR. It first appeared in Bradbury's Anthem Book in 1860 and again in Golden Chain of Sabbath School Melodies in 1861.
Which Bible passages does the hymn echo?
The Hymnology Archive links it to Matthew 6:6 on praying in private, Philippians 4:6-7 on prayer and peace, and 1 Peter 5:7 on casting cares on God. It also links the picture of Moses on Pisgah to Deuteronomy 34:1.
Is Sweet Hour of Prayer in the public domain?
Yes. The words are public domain in the United States, first printed in 1845. Bradbury's tune dates to 1860 and is public domain as well.
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