Transcript of: About the Long Obligatory Prayer
John Robarts
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Friend when the hands of a car met during the Budgie Conference last October and November. We were delighted with the progress off face throughout the world, but there were some reservations concerning our joy. When we consider the home front, you'll remember that I love God. In In his last letter to the American behind, he spoke about the home front. That letter was dated September 21st 1957 on. He said then that the deficiency in the home front we're not remedy immediately that the whole plan could be mutilated and the prize is already one jeopardize. And he appealed to us not to let this one remaining opportunity the irretrievably lost and after some consultation, the hands decided that I should come to Canada on a six month visit. I have had four of those months on Have I loved every minute of it. I have phone in visiting the communities in all of Western Canada and Ontario that all the way through in every community we have the most dedicated souls who are devoted to the face and would give their very life blood for it at any time. I have no doubt this applies all throughout the United States. All these people just dying to serve the cause. But there seem to be a feeling among many of them that they could not teach they wanted to take. But they had been frustrated. They just weren't able to make contact. They had found that their friends were not interested and they couldn't keep on trying to persuade them. And I'm making this feeling to a sales organization. Where if a salesman goes out to sell his product day after day after day and never make a sale time soon comes when he becomes so discouraged and his morale so low that he just cannot go out anymore. It seemed to me that many of the Canadian behind we're feeding this way and when we add to that the fact that behind as a whole are not trained sales people and they are attempting to sell one of the most difficult product in the world, a religion with a strange name, that nobody seems to want that it is understandable that these Canadian friends you have become the scurries on just not know how to go about selling. So in our consultations throughout Canada, in all these conferences we had in every place, we developed the theory, the idea that there are two factors that the ordinary sales organization does not have but that we have. And they are first promised assistance of God to all those who rise to serve him. And the second is the functioning or the proper functioning of the local spiritual assembly. Okay, so he took these two factors which we have in our favor, that the ordinary sales organization does not have and develop them. And we worked out the fact that in the first place it seemed to me that there are many behind whom have an intellectual acceptance of the faith, but they don't have it in their hearts. In many ways. For instance, we all know that God does everyone who arises to serve him. We know it because we read it in the teaching. But I think many don't believe it. In other words, the heaven in their head. But they haven't got it in their heart. And this is where we must get it. We must know that God does every one of us. When we arrived to serve him now, we also know that Throat Canada as the United States. In every town hamlet, city of the world, there are hundreds and hundreds of waiting soul people waiting to know about this revelation from God. They are all around us. It is like fruit. When you're going to take a fruit off a tree, there's some fruit that is ready to eat. No, there's another fruit right near that will be ready in a week or a month. Today it's hard, but there are some inner ripe and ready. Now on there are people waiting in despair for the love of God. And we must reach those people. Those are the ones now. We developed the thought that, god willing, guide us right to these people, people who are waiting for us to come to them and bring them the face of the hollow. These are the ready waiting souls and friends on this continent. There are millions and millions of them who, as soon as they hear about the face, they will embrace it. And they will thank God that you brought her to this. We must know this in our heart, not just in our heads. So on this basis, we went further to develop. How do we make sure that we can obtain this assistance of God when we want it on that he will guide us to these waiting soul. So we spent some time on the thought that in order to obtain this assistance, we must in ourselves developed a greater intensity of devotion to the faith, a really intensity of devotion on. We do this by using the prayers by studying the word on by going out teeth. Now, on the question of prayer in each one of our sessions, we spent from the half an hour to an hour discussing the long obligatory prayer. It is my feeling, but this is one of the most important writings of the hollow, and it seemed there so many behind who never use it. I wish I had time to spend 1\/2 an hour on that prayer alone because to me this is the key. If we will use this long, obligatory pair often, many people announced, many Canadians are now saying it every day on finding they have tremendous support. Of course, we all know the Tab Obama and many, many other prayers, but we we have major in on the use of a long, obligatory prayer, suggesting that used first thing in the morning. Many communities decided that they would do this, that they would use a long, obligatory prayer. Several said they were going to use the tablet of Armagh nine times a day. They were going to read some of the teachings every morning and every evening. You know, if you have a hose connected to a cab that is running with water, that water is the fuse out at the end of the whole. But if the pose is just an inch away from the path, no water gets into, the holes in the water doesn't diffuse up. It is the same with pizza with cars. If we want to teach, we must be connected with the source of the power. We must be title right into the teachings and to the love of God. And this we do by developing this infinitely greater intensity of the vote. No friends. It is easy to make these statements. I suppose. We all know there's nothing new about this tall. The only thing I knew that I have to bring you is a little evidence of the fact that this weren't We know the Bob told us. We know that Baha'i lot told us that we know that Abdu'l-Baha told us that we know that our beloved surely Effendi told us this. Now I want to add the fact that the Canadian behi eyes have also told us this on. I want to give you the a little bit of the evidence that they had. Since we've had these meetings, I have had a really deluge of letters from the highs all over Canada telling May of their experiences in using these prayers on praying to be guided to the waiting souls on to be guided us what to say when they got there. So I'm going to read you a few excerpts from some of these letters. I wish I had time. I could read for a now our two hours alone from these letters. But I should just read little, perhaps one sentence out of a few letters on my purpose in doing this is so that you will see that this is working in Canada on. Perhaps you don't need this in the United States in the same way, But if you do it? We weren't here too. Now the first letter I'm going to read, um, more than an excerpt of it because it is a particularly beautiful one. It is from a girl, a young girl of about my age. Why are you laughing about? She told me the night of our meeting. She said, Job, I have nobody to teach. There isn't one, so I have no contact. All my friends I've ever had have heard about the face and they will not listen anymore. I have no place to go. But he said, I'm going to try this out. I don't know whether this is right or not, but I'm going to try. I'm really going to storm the gates of heaven and see if God won't guide made gruesome waiting soul here in her letter. Or here is a part of her. Later, the night after our meeting, I went home and prayed very hard. I used a long, obligatory prayer and several others I had to meet new people and did not know how. Reading the paper the next morning, a small ad announced the 15 week series of drama classes I immediately applied and was accepted not knowing what the core is entailed. The first evening found me on the floor doing physical exercise. It was a painful procedure for these old bones, but it paid off well, Lying flat on my back, I heard a whisper from a girl. That's a fascinating ring you are wearing. Please tell me about it. In my haste to sit up, I nearly broke every bone in my body. But my face was shining and I was ecstatic after class that first evening over coffee. The message we're joyfully given to 10 new people result in three weeks a declaration from a wonderful soul waiting, prepared to give her life and love to the hollow lock. She is on her knees thanking God that she can bring her children up to the highway. She is being accepted into the faith at your room. She is moving to allowed your house so she can keep. Don't stop reading. There are more surprises. Another student from the same class came to see me two nights ago, and after six hours of ecstatic and enthusiastic exploration of the teachings, we were on the floor with maps, books, pamphlets, sprint all around suddenly said, Thank God he sent you to our class. I have been a Baha'i all my life and I didn't know it. He instantly declared himself. I would. I wept. My heart was bursting with exquisite joy and gratitude at the confirmation of the spirit that were being showered polish in Torrance. Two new believers in one month out of a class of 10 is not a bad percentage, don't you think? But that's not all. There is 1\/3 a colored boy who is studying, also the husband of the first friend who won't be far behind. Things are happening fast and furious around these parts. We are all stimulated and encouraged. If this isn't guys, is what is. So I would advise the highs to join a physical exercise class. Be sure whenever high ring's broken bones will bring a new believer in every time and she ends up in. It's a riot at my age, friend. This is just one case. I have several letters like this. This is happening. Do I need to say any more? I sit down now. Well, now here's another just one paragraph. Very, he says. I can speak for five hours. This is a letter. It is a four page letter, but I just give you one extra from it from a girl. She and her husband have been in this talent in Canada before seven years, and they haven't brought in any Believer's. Nor have they done any teaching for some years. Um, but they said they certainly were going to do some. And so he wrote a letter telling of her first riel experience. And she said, I was saying the long, obligatory prayer about an hour before I was to leave for that meeting, when the strongest conviction came over me that I would tell someone about the faith that evening. I just knew I would, and she did another one. The prayers are bringing results for me. Had an amazing talk with my manager today. What a wonderful experience. It almost scares me. In fact, it did scare me. I rushed right upstairs and said, the longer, obligatory prayer, another one from a wife whose husband had resisted the cause for some years. And in the same town. They're Waas, a wife who had resisted the cause for some years. And you know we have been saying that habit of arm at nine times every day, along with several other prayers. On March 20th he wrote again, This is two weeks later, two apart to decorations, her husband and the wife of the other job, she said. I'm too happy to write a sensible, and it just had to let you know the good news. And they attributed along the biggest repair have of I'm at nine times a day, another one. The power of prayer was quite a revelation to me. While I knew the power that power was there, the tremendous potency of it became clearly shown to me by this happening. The morning after our meeting. She told me later that she decided she would try this out and she spent one solid hour in prayer. She said, I use the cabin of Armagh longer blankets, prayer, the prayer for Canada, other prayers. And within five hours, one of my friends quietly asked me to assist her in writing her letter, declaring her wish to become a behi. The confirmation of the power and assistance we get from our prayers will live forever with me. Now here's one that is a little unusual. I must tell you about this one. You see, I am so convinced the best guidance is available. The sometimes I might be accused of perhaps being just a little over enthusiastic, and I was one meeting one certain Friday evening, and I turned to one chap who was at the meeting. I knew he was going away for the weekend, so I said, I said, Richard, if you pray, God will bring somebody to your door on Monday afternoon, I didn't mean him to take me to literally on that. But here's his letter. After our meeting, I began to ponder over the words you had said to me. Someone will come to see you on Monday afternoon. I've prayed over the weekend more than I have ever prayed before, and on Monday I waited anxiously and very alert. But nothing happened. I was not despondent is expected, but reason that I must pray with more intensity. Lo and behold, on Unity Afternoon, my friends, I can't hear right on the nose every time we have a very unexpected and wonderful surprise for you. Our beloved hand of the car's bills here has just arrived. Yeah, we're right at Tuesday afternoon. You'll never get what happened. This was another place in Ontario where this chap and his wife had bean for several years and they had no contact. But on June, it got a little time to get going on this one thought. On Tuesday afternoon, some of man came in on his wife, and that started the first fireside, and they came back two evenings later. That's just bad. No, another place in Ontario where there had bean little teaching on where they were. A little skeptical about all this. The fact that if you really prayed with great intensity of devotion, that God would guide you to somebody, this chap road a few days later and he said a woman of telephone to say that he's one of a group of five who wanted studies. Baha'i face friend, Can you beat it? Do you think it would? For the first time this letter goes on For the first time, everybody is both playing and teaching. I have never seen so many happy behind before. Everybody seems to have a new sense of confidence on their sucked is even noticeable in details of personal lives. In some of the most wonderful ways for Rush up. I just have never seen teaching the faith this way before. Friends. I had a letter from to our friend, one of them saying that his son and his daughter had declared on another one, expressing such joy that his wife had become of a high after many years. And, you know, I think this may have been the result of a certain technique that I was able to bring to them from Africa, and I passed this technique on you in the hope that perhaps you may be able to use it. This is a young African man who has done wonderful teaching in the afterlife. His wife had not been a behi. In fact, he was quite hostile to the face. But at the last convention he told us that he had become a Baha'i. So after I asked him about her on congratulated him on the fact that his wife has come into the faith. And that's how he had done it. Well, he said, You know what it was. It was really difficult at first, but, you know, the time came when my wife began to think that she would like to join the meetings to be a part of the group. You know, we said we have meetings in our house. Uh, three nights, four nights, sometimes five a week. And she thought you'd like to be wrong. He said, we have a very small house. We only have one room, just a little mud heart. And, of course, when she wasn't at the high, well, I couldn't let her stay. I had to ask her to leave the house, and he became a behind during the last rainy season way. You know, in Canada we've had this. I told us this story way had a deluge of of wives coming into the way on some some husbands have to, uh I'm glad passes the African technique on to you, but I do with a request that you write and tell me how it works when the first time you try it. Well, there's so many other of these letters. One girl, right? I have been saying that habit of arm at nine times every day. The main thing is I find that the people I already know seem to be drawing closer to me and I feel so much more love for them and for everyone else. I meet friends. I wonder if I need Well, here's one other I'm I should read. Here is a dear friend of mine who right this is, uh, uh, a girl. She said, I don't know that I should read this. I'm hesitate a little bit. She starts out by saying, John, uh, would you please go back to Africa? You are becoming a disturbing factor in Canada Way can't keep up to those things that are resulting from our prayers. We shall have to stop train or sure, we shall become too exhausted to carry on the things that are happening to us knocking us all out. This is a small community. And they reported they had had five new behind in one week. So I'm going back to Africa, just students I can in the hope that this continues on the question of the along obligatory prayer. I had one letter of some pages from one chap who wrote most enthusiastically about it, and from his letter I quote this on the day following my use of the long obligatory prayer. My attitude and actual experience seem to be much different and better than on the days I failed to use it. One might say Even there is a qualitative difference in the kind of day I have I never want Has this prayer let me down So many things we could say But you all know them anyway on the importance of this, I think the last letter I shall read from is this one from a girl who had been a behi for several years and had done very little teaching, she said. I've called myself of a high for a long time, but have not bean training behind. A whole new world has opened up indescribably more wonderful than that was opened when I first heard about the face and accepted it intellectually. How Shari in Thredbo, that seems now in competitive with a friend about a friend who came doors opened and we talked about the fate for two hours. He had never heard of it before. He is Section is full of questions and it's so sincere, but I honestly feel ashamed and grateful combined to be alive that night I prayed in the greatest joy for your father. Okay, friends, this is the experience in Canada. I What's going on here anymore? This is happening everywhere. I've had people tell if only come to see me, right Me. Many, many letters haven't quoted from here, suddenly saying They have come alive and it is due to the fact that they have begun to use these prayers and especially along obligatory prayer. It's a strange thing to me how few people seem to know that prayer. This may not apply in the United States, but in Canada, everywhere and the region. I developed my respect for myself while some years ago I visited a community and I came back and reported to very close for hi friend of mine, that there were great troubles in this community. Great disunity. Well, he said, they're not using the longer, obligatory prayer. Well, I thought, This is rather a dogmatic statement. I said, Why do you say that? Well, he said, people who used a long, obligatory pray don't have that kind of a pop. So a year later I went back to that community, and in the course of our discussions, I gave a little talk on the longer bigotry prayers on someone's head Where do you find that prayer? I haven't been using it on. When they started, a lot of their problems just seem to dissolve. And then they began to teach. And it seems that in so many communities where there is active teaching, people are really happy where they don't eat. They seem to devour one another. It seems we must, in order to when they say And of course, we are going to win them. There is no doubt that but we need to develop this greater intensity of devotion. I think, Mr Banana Honey, who was the first hand of the cause in Africa on one whom Sugar family loved very much and prays very highly. I remember one time Mr Banana, who is a man of great humility, a great servant and has done tremendous work in Africa. He told us that several years before he had Bean appointed a hand of a cause. He was in Haifa and shocking to a stone that was lying in front of them. And he said, Do you know God could activate that stone so it could rise? I've been teaching the car if you wanted to, Mr Banana said he couldn't want to start by. The Guardian had said that, but he had. Now I know I and that stone God has activated me so that I seemed somehow to be able to do something for the car. But literally I am that stone. We got a great encouragement to me because I felt very stone like myself and I think many of us have. And it's a wonderful thing to realize that God can activate any one of us if we will just arrived to serve the cause. And this applies to all of us. A friend. This is my message. We all want to teach the car. We all know that there are people waiting all around us, desperately waiting to embrace because the love of God. And if we develop this increased intensity of devotion by using the longer obligatory prayer Tabriz studying, teaching and alone in peace, we will be guarded in every step. We take a lot
