Poems (Kimball)/Praying in Spirit
PRAYING IN SPIRIT.
But thou when thou prayest enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret.—Matt. vi. 6.
INEED not leave the jostling world, Or wait till daily tasks are o'er,To fold my palms in secret prayer Within the close-shut closet door.
There is a viewless cloistered room As high as heaven, as fair as day, Where, though my feet may join the throng, My soul can enter in and pray.
When I have banished wayward thoughts, Of sinful works the fruitful seed,When folly wins my ear no more, The closet door is shut indeed.
No human step approaching breaks The blissful silence of the place; No shadow steals across the light That falls from my Redeemer's face.
And never through those crystal walls The clash of life can pierce its way; Nor ever can a human ear Drink in the secret words I say.
One hearkening even cannot know When I have crossed the threshold o'er; For He alone who hears my prayer Has heard the shutting of the door.