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Blessed is he who in the prime of his youth
and the heyday of his life will arise
to serve the Cause of the Lord of the beginning and of the end, and
adorn his heart with His love.
The manifestation of such a grace
is greater than the creation of the heavens and of the earth.
Blessed are the steadfast and
well is it with those who are firm.
—Bahd'u'llah
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Prayers for spiritual growth 1
1 Prayers for spiritual growth
Short obligatory prayer
TO BE RECITED ONCE IN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS, AT NOON
I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth.
There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. —Bahdad’ulllah
Spiritual awakening
I have wakened in Thy shelter, O my God, and it becometh him that seeketh that shelter to abide within the Sanctu- ary of Thy protection and the Stronghold of Thy defense. Illumine my inner being, O my Lord, with the splendors of the Dayspring of Thy Revelation, even as Thou didst illu- mine my outer being with the morning light of Thy favor. —Bahda’ullah
My God, my Adored One, my King, my Desire! What tongue can voice my thanks to Thee? I was heedless, Thou didst awaken me. I had turned back from Thee, Thou didst graciously aid me to turn towards Thee. I was as one dead, Thou didst quicken me with the water of life. I was withered, Thou didst revive me with the heavenly stream of Thine utterance which hath flowed forth from the Pen of the All-Merciful.
O Divine Providence! All existence is begotten by Thy
bounty; deprive it not of the waters of Thy generosity,
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2 PRAYERS FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH
neither do Thou withhold it from the ocean of Thy mercy. I beseech Thee to aid and assist me at all times and under all conditions, and seek from the heaven of Thy grace Thine ancient favor. Thou art, in truth, the Lord of bounty, and the Sovereign of the kingdom of eternity. —Bahd’u’llah
O Lord! Help this daughter of the kingdom to be exalted in both worlds; cause her to turn away from this mortal world of dust and from those who have set their hearts thereon and enable her to have communion and close association with the world of immortality. Give her heavenly power and strengthen her through the breaths of the Holy Spirit that she may arise to serve Thee.
Thou art the Mighty One. —‘Abdu'l-Baha
Spiritual qualities
Create in me a pure heart, O my God, and renew a tranquil conscience within me, O my Hope! Through the spirit of power confirm Thou me in Thy Cause, O my Best-Beloved, and by the light of Thy glory reveal unto me Thy path, O Thou the Goal of my desire! Through the power of Thy transcendent might lift me up unto the heaven of Thy holiness, O Source of my being, and by the breezes of Thine eternity gladden me, O Thou Who art my God! Let Thine everlasting melodies breathe tranquillity on me, O my Companion, and let the riches of Thine ancient counte- nance deliver me from all except Thee, O my Master, and let the tidings of the revelation of Thine incorruptible Essence bring me joy, O Thou Who art the most manifest of the manifest and the most hidden of the hidden!—Bahd’u'llah
O Thou Lord of wondrous grace! Bestow upon us new
blessings. Give to us the freshness of the spring. We are
saplings which have been planted by the fingers of Thy
bounty and have been formed out of the water and clay of
Thy tender affection. We thirst for the living waters of Thy
favors and are dependent upon the outpourings of the
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Protection and assistance 3
clouds of Thy generosity. Abandon not to itself this grove wherein our hopes aspire, nor withhold therefrom the showers of Thy loving-kindness. Grant that from the clouds of Thy mercy may fall copious rain so that the trees of our lives may bring forth fruit and we may attain the most cherished desire of our hearts. —Abdu'l-Baha
Protection and assistance
O God, my God! I have set out from my home, holding fast unto the cord of Thy love, and I have committed myself wholly to Thy care and Thy protection. I entreat Thee by Thy power through which Thou didst protect Thy loved ones from the wayward and the perverse, and from every contumacious oppressor, and every wicked doer who hath strayed far from Thee, to keep me safe by Thy bounty and Thy grace. Enable me, then, to return to my home by Thy power and Thy might. Thou art, truly, the Almighty, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. —Baha’u'llah
I adjure Thee by Thy might, O my God! Let no harm beset me in times of tests, and in moments of heedlessness guide my steps aright through Thine inspiration. Thou art God, potent art Thou to do what Thou desirest. No one can withstand Thy Will or thwart Thy Purpose. —The Bab
O Lord! Unto Thee I repair for refuge, and toward all Thy signs I set my heart.
O Lord! Whether traveling or at home, and in my occupation or in my work, I place my whole trust in Thee.
Grant me then Thy sufficing help so as to make me independent of all things, O Thou Who art unsurpassed in Thy mercy!
Bestow upon me my portion, O Lord, as Thou pleasest, and cause me to be satisfied with whatsoever Thou hast ordained for me.
Thine is the absolute authority to command.
—The Bab
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4 PRAYERS FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Parents
O Lord! In this Most Great Dispensation Thou dost accept the intercession of children in behalf of their parents. This is one of the special infinite bestowals of this Dispensa- tion. Therefore, O Thou kind Lord, accept the request of this Thy servant at the threshold of Thy singleness and submerge his father in the ocean of Thy grace, because this son hath arisen to render Thee service and is exerting effort at all times in the pathway of Thy love. Verily, Thou art the Giver, the Forgiver and the Kind! —Abdu'l-Baha
Teaching and service
Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! I implore Thee, by Thy Name which none hath befittingly recognized, and whose import no soul hath fathomed; I beseech Thee, by Him Who is the Fountainhead of Thy Revelation and the Dayspring of Thy signs, to make my heart to be a receptacle of Thy love and of remembrance of Thee. Knit it, then, to Thy most great Ocean, that from it may flow out the living waters of Thy wisdom and the crystal streams of Thy glorification and praise.
The limbs of my body testify to Thy unity, and the hair of my head declareth the power of Thy sovereignty and might. I have stood at the door of Thy grace with utter self-effacement and complete abnegation, and clung to the hem of Thy bounty, and fixed mine eyes upon the horizon of Thy gifts.
Do Thou destine for me, O my God, what becometh the greatness of Thy majesty, and assist me, by Thy strength- ening grace, so to teach Thy Cause that the dead may speed out of their sepulchers, and rush forth towards Thee, trusting wholly in Thee, and fixing their gaze upon the orient of Thy Cause, and the dawning-place of Thy Revela- tion.
Thou, verily, art the Most Powerful, the Most High, the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise. —Bahda’u'llah
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Teaching and service 5
O Thou kind Lord! Bestow heavenly confirmation upon this daughter of the kingdom, and graciously aid her that she may remain firm and steadfast in Thy Cause and that she may, even as a nightingale of the rose garden of mysteries, warble melodies in the Abha Kingdom in most wondrous tones, thereby bringing happiness to everyone. Make her exalted among the daughters of the kingdom and enable her to attain life eternal.
Thou art the Bestower, the All-Loving. —Abdu’l-Baha
O Lord! Make this youth radiant, and confer Thy bounty upon this poor creature. Bestow upon him knowledge, grant him added strength at the break of every morn and guard him within the shelter of Thy protection so that he may be freed from error, may devote himself to the service of Thy Cause, may guide the wayward, lead the hapless, free the captives and awaken the heedless, that all may be blessed with Thy remembrance and praise. Thou art the Mighty and the Powerful. —Abdu'l-Baha
O my God, aid Thou Thy servant to raise up the Word, and to refute what is vain and false, to establish the truth, to spread the sacred verses abroad, reveal the splendors, and make the morning’s light to dawn in the hearts of the righteous. Thou art, verily, the Generous, the Forgiving. —Abdu'l-Baha
O God, my God! Aid Thou Thy trusted servants to have loving and tender hearts. Help them to spread, amongst all the nations of the earth, the light of guidance that cometh from the Company on high. Verily, Thou art the Strong, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Subduing, the Ever- Giving. Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Gentle, the Tender, the Most Bountiful. —‘Abdul-Baha
Praise and glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! This is a
choice sapling which Thou hast planted in the meads of
Thy love and hast nurtured with the fingers of Thy Lord-
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6 PRAYERS FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH
ship. Thou hast watered it from the wellspring of everlast- ing life which streameth forth from the gardens of Thy oneness, and Thou hast caused the clouds of Thy tender mercy to shower Thy favors upon it. It hath now grown and developed beneath the shelter of Thy blessings which are manifest from the Dayspring of Thy divine essence. It hath burst forth into leaves and blossoms, is laden with fruit through the providence of Thy wondrous gifts and boun- ties and is stirred by the fragrant breeze wafting from the direction of Thy loving-kindness.
O Lord! Cause this sapling to become verdant, fresh and flourishing by the outpourings of Thy special bounty and favor, wherewith Thou hast endued the tabernacles of holiness in Thy eternal kingdom and hast adorned the essences of unity in the arena of reunion.
O Lord! Assist him through Thy strengthening grace which proceedeth from Thine invisible kingdom, aid him with such hosts as are hidden from the eyes of Thy servants and grant that he may have a sure footing in Thy presence. Unloose his tongue to make mention of Thee, and gladden his heart to celebrate Thy praise. Illumine his face in Thy kingdom, prosper him in the realm above and graciously confirm him to serve Thy Cause.
Thou art the All-Powerful, the All-Glorious, the Omnipotent. —Abdu'l-Baha
O Thou kind Lord! Grant that these trees may become the adornment of the Abha Paradise. Cause them to grow through Thy celestial bounty. Make them fresh and verdant, and besprinkle them with heavenly dewdrops. Attire them with robes of radiant beauty, and crown their heads with gorgeous blossoms. Adorn them with goodly fruit, and waft over them Thy sweet savors.
Thou art the Bestower, the All-Loving, the Most Radiant, the Most Resplendent. —‘Abdu'l-Baha
