Sweet Hour of Prayer

You know certain songs remind you of certain places and certain times and certain people.

I hear this song and I think of Wellingborough, I think of my younger teen years and I think of my Dad.  Back in the day I couldn’t care less about praying.  Especially prayer meetings, they were good times to catch up with nap-time or bow reverently and catch up with comic I’d sneak in.  My Dad, though was very sincere about the time for prayer.  Very sincere and earnest.  I don’t recall my Dad to be one for showing off, he was more likely to just get on with whatever he was there to do and he too prayer very seriously indeed.  This was a relief of a song to him and a prelude to that time when as the Friday night drew in then we would have family prayer time.

Since then I’ve come to develop a faith of my own.  My relationship with God is not based on just what Dad said or did, but it is very much inspired by that serious approach to prayer and whilst before it was a drag and bore, now it is a delight to spend time in prayer.  It is even greater to know that prayer is not something that I do at a time where my knees are bent and my eyes are closed but during train journeys, walks home, even the hustle and bustle of a workshop session I can communicate with God and enjoy not just sweet hours, but sweet days of prayer.

So these versions of the song are very much thanks to my heavenly Father for those times of reasoning and to my beloved earthly father for showing the way.  Thanks Dad.

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

dmcd