A hymn that develops the exhortation of St Paul, that we should ‘pray without ceasing’.
Joseph Scriven (1819-1886) was an Irishman, born in Dublin, who emigrated to Canada in 1847 and dedicated his life to education, preaching, and charitable work. His life was beset by disappointments and bereavements: twice he was engaged to be married, and twice his fiancée died. This poem was written for his mother when she fell dangerously ill in 1855, and headed ‘Pray without ceasing’.