Christmas Prayer

I have a little book titled "Hilltop Verses and Prayers: Collected Poems of Ralph Spaulding Cushman". It is a tiny book with maybe a hundred poems in it. But what a lovely little book. Each poem have a matching Bible passage and a little prayer to go with it. Some are just so lovely. So I thought I would post a couple of the Christmas ones. Here is the first. 

Let not our hearts be busy inns,

That have no room for Thee,

But cradles for the living Christ

and His nativity.

Still driven by a thousand cares

The pilgrims come and go;

The hurried caravans press on; The inns are crowded so!

Here are the rich and busy ones,

With things that must be sold,

No room for simple things within

This hostelry of gold.

Yet hunger dwells within these walls,

These shining walls and bright,

And blindness groping here and there

Without a ray of light.

Oh, lest we starve, and lest we die,

In our stupidity,

Come, Holy Child, within and share

Our hospitality.

Let not our hearts be busy inns,

That have no room for Thee,

But cradles for the living Christ

And His nativity.

We pray, dear God, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth! But how can Thy Kingdom come until we love Thee more than we love the kingdoms of this world? Oh, let not our hearts be busy inns. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. - Matthew 7:21-23