Individual (also for one’s contacts) – Steadfastness; Obedience; Nearness to God; Recognition of the Manifestation of God; Seemly behavior

Praise be to Thee, O Lord, my Best Beloved! Make me steadfast in Thy Cause and grant that I may be reckoned among those who have not violated Thy Covenant nor followed the gods of their own idle fancy. Enable me, then, to obtain a seat of truth in Thy presence, bestow upon me a token of Thy mercy and let me join with such of Thy servants as shall have no fear nor shall they be put to grief. Abandon me not to myself, O my Lord, nor deprive me of recognizing Him Who is the Manifestation of Thine Own Self, nor account me with such as have turned away from Thy holy presence. Number me, O my God, with those who are privileged to fix their gaze upon Thy Beauty and who take such delight therein that they would not exchange a single moment thereof with the sovereignty of the kingdom of heavens and earth or with the entire realm of creation. Have mercy on me, O Lord, in these days when the peoples of Thine earth have erred grievously; supply me then, O my God, with that which is good and seemly in Thine estimation. Thou art verily the All-Powerful, the Gracious, the Bountiful, the Ever-Forgiving. 

- The Báb  (‘Selections from the Writings of the Báb)

A prayer of visitation for Frau Babette Ruoff

A visiting Tablet for the Maidservant of God, Frau Babette Ruoff.

Upon her be Baha’u’l-Abha!

He is God!

O Almighty! Endear thou this maidservant of Thy Threshold, Frau Ruoff, in the Kingdom of Thy Holiness, and submerge her in the Ocean of Sight. Overlook her shortcomings; confer upon her Thy Grace! Vouchsafe her Thy Purity in the Court of the Paradise of Abha! Bestow upon her Eternal Life and suffer her to become the manifestor of infinite bestowals in the meeting of transfiguration.

Verily Thou art the Generous, the Pardoner, and the Compassionate.

(Signed) 'Abdu’l-Baha Abbas

(Star of the West, vol. 5, no. 13, November 4, 1914)

Group – Nearness to God; Service; Steadfastness; Remembrance of God, Teaching; Courage

I pray Thee, O Thou Who causest the dawn to appear, by Thy Name through Which Thou hast subjected the winds, and sent down Thy Tablets, that Thou wilt grant that we may draw near unto what Thou didst destine for us by Thy favor and bounty, and to be far removed from whatsoever may be repugnant unto Thee. Give us, then, to drink from the hands of Thy grace every day and every moment of our lives of the waters that are life indeed, O Thou Who art the Most Merciful! Make us, then, to be of them who helped Thee when fallen into the hands of those Thine enemies who are numbered with the rebellious among Thy creatures and the wicked amidst Thy people. Write down, then, for us the recompense ordained for him that hath attained Thy presence, and gazed on Thy beauty, and supply us with every good thing ordained in Thy Book for such of Thy creatures as enjoy near access to Thee.

Brighten our hearts, O my Lord, with the splendor of Thy knowledge, and illumine our sight with the light of such eyes as are fixed upon the horizon of Thy grace and the Day-Spring of Thy glory. Preserve us, then, by Thy Most Great Name, Which Thou didst cause to overshadow such nations as lay claim to what Thou hast forbidden in Thy Book. This, verily, is what Thou didst announce unto us in Thy Scriptures and Thy Tablets.

Humanity – “to ordain for every one what becometh Thee and beseemeth Thine exaltation”

Many a chilled heart, O my God, hath been set ablaze with the fire of Thy Cause, and many a slumberer hath been wakened by the sweetness of Thy voice. How many are the strangers who have sought shelter beneath the shadow of the tree of Thy oneness, and how numerous the thirsty ones who have panted after the fountain of Thy living waters in Thy days!

Blessed is he that hath set himself towards Thee, and hasted to attain the Day-Spring of the lights of Thy face. Blessed is he who with all his affections hath turned to the Dawning-Place of Thy Revelation and the Fountain-Head of Thine inspiration. Blessed is he that hath expended in Thy path what Thou didst bestow upon him through Thy bounty and favor. Blessed is he who, in his sore longing after Thee, hath cast away all else except Thyself. Blessed is he who hath enjoyed intimate communion with Thee, and rid himself of all attachment to any one save Thee.

I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Him Who is Thy Name, Who, through the power of Thy sovereignty and might, hath risen above the horizon of His prison, to ordain for every one what becometh Thee and beseemeth Thine exaltation.

Thy might, in truth, is equal to all things. 

- Baha’u’llah  (‘Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u’llah’)

Individual – God’s “transcendent majesty and might”; Praise and gratitude; Nearness to God; Submitting one’s will to God’s; Assistance; Service

Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I bear witness that from eternity Thou wert exalted in Thy transcendent majesty and might, and wilt to eternity abide in Thy surpassing power and glory. None in the kingdoms of earth and heaven can frustrate Thy purpose; none throughout the realms of revelation and of creation can prevail against Thee. At Thy command Thou doest what Thou willest, and by the power of Thy sovereignty Thou rulest as Thou pleasest.

I implore Thee, O Thou Who causest the dawn to appear, by Thy Lamp which Thou didst light with the fire of Thy love before all that are in heaven and on earth, and whose flame Thou feedest with the fuel of Thy wisdom in the kingdom of Thy creation, to make me to be of those who have soared in Thine atmosphere, and surrendered their will to Thy decree.

I am all wretchedness, O my Lord, and Thou art the Most Powerful, the Almighty. Have pity upon me by Thy grace and bountiful favor, and graciously aid me to serve Thee and them that are dear to Thee. Potent art Thou to do as Thou willest. No God is there but Thee, the God of strength, of glory and wisdom. 

- Baha’u’llah  (‘Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u’llah)

Prayer for Spiritual Assembly

Whenever ye enter the council-chamber, recite this prayer with a heart throbbing with the love of God and a tongue purified from all but His remembrance, that the All-Powerful may graciously aid you to achieve supreme victory:

O God, my God! We are servants of Thine that have turned with devotion to Thy Holy Face, that have detached ourselves from all besides Thee in this glorious Day. We have gathered in this Spiritual Assembly, united in our views and thoughts, with our purposes harmonized to exalt Thy Word amidst mankind. O Lord, our God! Make us the signs of Thy Divine Guidance, the Standards of Thine exalted Faith amongst men, servants to Thy mighty Covenant, O Thou our Lord Most High, manifestations of Thy Divine Unity in Thine Abhá Kingdom, and resplendent stars shining upon all regions. Lord! Aid us to become seas surging with the billows of Thy wondrous Grace, streams flowing from Thine all-glorious Heights, goodly fruits upon the Tree of Thy heavenly Cause, trees waving through the breezes of Thy Bounty in Thy celestial Vineyard. O God! Make our souls dependent upon the Verses of Thy Divine Unity, our hearts cheered with the outpourings of Thy Grace, that we may unite even as the waves of one sea and become merged together as the rays of Thine effulgent Light; that our thoughts, our views, our feelings may become as one reality, manifesting the spirit of union throughout the world. Thou art the Gracious, the Bountiful, the Bestower, the Almighty, the Merciful, the Compassionate. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

Prayer - May be said after meals

O my Lord, my Hope!  Thanks be unto Thee for these foods and benefits. O Lord! Suffer us to ascend to Thy Kingdom and to sit at the tables of thy divine world. Nourish us with the food of Thy meeting and cause us to attain to the sweetness of beholding Thy beauty, forasmuch as this is the utmost wish, the mightiest gift and the greatest bestowal. O Lord, O Lord! Make this feasible unto us. Verily Thou art the Beneficent, the Giver! Verily Thou art the Bestower, the Mighty, the Merciful. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 1)

Prayer - May be said before meals

O my Lord, my Hope! Praise be unto Thee, for Thou hast sent down unto us this spiritual table, supreme benefit and heavenly blessing. O our Lord! Strengthen us to partake of this heavenly food, so that its fine essence may run through the pillars of our spiritual being and that we may thereby obtain a celestial power for serving Thy Cause, promulgating Thy signs and adorning Thy vineyard with lofty trees, the fruits whereof shall be near (to gather) and of perfuming fragrances. Verily Thou art the Possessor of great bounty! Verily Thou are the Clement, the Merciful! 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 1)

Believers – Nearness to God; Spiritual growth; Helping the Cause; Attaining the presence of the Manifestation of God; Expansion of vision; Protection; Steadfastness

I pray Thee, O Thou Who causest the dawn to appear, by Thy Name through Which Thou hast subjected the winds, and sent down Thy Tablets, that Thou wilt grant that we may draw near unto what Thou didst destine for us by Thy favor and bounty, and to be far removed from whatsoever may be repugnant unto Thee. Give us, then, to drink from the hands of Thy grace every day and every moment of our lives of the waters that are life indeed, O Thou Who art the Most Merciful! Make us, then, to be of them who helped Thee when fallen into the hands of those Thine enemies who are numbered with the rebellious among Thy creatures and the wicked amidst Thy people. Write down, then, for us the recompense ordained for him that hath attained Thy presence, and gazed on Thy beauty, and supply us with every good thing ordained in Thy Book for such of Thy creatures as enjoy near access to Thee.

Brighten our hearts, O my Lord, with the splendor of Thy knowledge, and illumine our sight with the light of such eyes as are fixed upon the horizon of Thy grace and the Day-Spring of Thy glory. Preserve us, then, by Thy Most Great Name, Which Thou didst cause to overshadow such nations as lay claim to what Thou hast forbidden in Thy Book. This, verily, is what Thou didst announce unto us in Thy Scriptures and Thy Tablets.

Group – Spiritual strength; Assistance; Teaching

Strengthen Thou, O my Lord, the hearts of them that love Thee, that they may not be affrighted by the hosts of the infidels that are turned back from Thee, but may follow Thee in whatsoever hath been revealed by Thee. Aid them, moreover, to remember and to praise Thee, and to teach Thy Cause with eloquence and wisdom. Thou art He Who hath called Himself the Most Merciful. Ordain, then, O my God, for me and for whosoever hath sought Thee what beseemeth the excellence of Thy glory and the greatness of Thy majesty. No God is there but Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate. 

- Baha’u’llah  (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)

Believers – Assistance: “to observe what Thou hast commanded them in Thy days”

Praised be Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee by them who have circled round the throne of Thy will, and soared in the atmosphere of Thy good-pleasure, and turned with all their affections towards the Horizon of Thy Revelation and the Day-Spring of Thine inspiration, and the Dawning-Place of Thy names, to aid Thy servants to observe what Thou hast commanded them in Thy days—commandments through which the sacredness of Thy Cause will be demonstrated unto Thy servants and the affairs of Thy creatures and of Thy realm will be set aright. 

- Baha’u’llah  (‘Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah’)

Prayer “to be freed from affliction”

If thou desirest to be freed from affliction, recite thou this prayer which hath been revealed by the Pen of the All-Merciful:

“O God, my God! I testify to Thy unity and to Thy oneness. I beseech Thee, O Thou Possessor of names and Fashioner of the heavens, by the pervasive influence of Thine exalted Word and the potency of Thy supreme Pen, to aid me with the ensigns of Thy power and might, and to protect me from the mischief of Thine enemies who have violated Thy Covenant and Thy Testament. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Powerful.”

This invocation is an impregnable stronghold and an indomitable army. It conferreth protection and ensureth deliverance. 

- Baha’u’llah  (Tablet of the Seven Questions [Lawḥ-i-Haft Pursish], published in ‘The Tabernacle of Unity’)

Prayer before a meal

He then went to lunch. At the request of those present at the table the Master chanted the following prayer:

He is God! Thou seest us, O my God, gathered around this table, praising Thy bounty, with our gaze set upon Thy Kingdom. O Lord! Send down upon us Thy heavenly food and confer upon us Thy blessing. Thou art verily the Bestower, the Merciful, the Compassionate. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (October 14, 1912, Pleasanton, California; recorded by Mahmud Zarqani; Mahmud’s Diary)

Group – Forgiveness; Spiritual qualities; Admission to God’s Kingdom; Happiness; Illumination; Kindness; Assistance; Detachment; Service

O Thou kind Lord! These people have turned to Thee in prayer. With utmost humility and sincerity they have raised their voices to Thy Kingdom to beg Thy forgiveness.

O God! Make this assemblage noble and these persons holy. Enkindle the lights of guidance, illumine the hearts, bring joy to the souls, admit them into Thy Kingdom and enable them to attain felicity in both worlds.

O God! We are abased, glorify us; we are poor, make us rich from the treasury of Thy Kingdom; we are sick, grant us health; we are weak, give us power. O God, guide us to Thy good-pleasure and make us free from self and desire. O God, make us firm in Thy love and assist us to be kind to all creatures. Help us to render service to humanity so that we may serve all Thy servants, love all Thy creatures, be kind to all mankind. O God, verily Thou art the Powerful, the Merciful, the Forgiving and the Omnipotent. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Revealed and chanted by ‘Abdu’l-Baha in Montreal, Canada, September 1, 1912; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)

Prayer offered by ‘Abdu’l-Baha at the grave of Thornton Chase

Thornton Chase

O my God! O my God! Verily, this is a servant of Thine, who did believe on Thee and in Thy signs; verily he hearkened to Thy summons, turned to Thy Kingdom, humbled himself at Thy holy threshold, was possessed of a contrite heart, arose to serve Thy cause, to spread Thy fragrances, to promote Thy word, and to expound Thy wisdom.

Verily he guided the people to Thine ancient pathway, and led them to Thy way of rectitude. Verily he held the chalice of guidance in his right hand and gave unto those athirst to drink of the cup of favour. He presented himself at Thy lofty threshold, where he laid his brow on the fragrant soil of Thy garden and circumambulated Thy all-glorious and sublime abode, the traces of which are wide-spread and the fragrances of whose loyalty are sensed everywhere. Later he returned to these vast and extensive countries and proclaimed Thy Name amongst the people, until his respiration ceased and his outward sensation was suspended, returning to Thee with a heart throbbing with Thy love and with an eye opened to Thy direction.

O Lord! O Lord! Submerge him in the ocean of Thy glory. O Lord! O Lord! Usher him into Thy delectable garden. O Lord! O Lord! Usher him into Thy lofty paradise and cause him to be present in Thy meeting of transfiguration. O Lord! Submerge him in the ocean of Thy lights.

Verily, Thou art the Clement! Verily, Thou are the Merciful, the Precious, the Omnipotent! 
- 'Abdu'l-Baha  (Star of the West, vol.III, No. 13, November 4, 1912)

Humanity – Spiritual transformation

Cover the sins of the weak ones with the hem of the garment of Thy Mercy! Change the indifference of the heedless ones into the essence of fidelity, wisdom and understanding! Grant the souls a loftier effort and arouse another (spiritual) tumult in the minds so that they may sing the melody of the Supreme Realm, seek for a Glory Everlasting, long for the delicacies of the New World, soar toward the Brightest Horizon, enter the congregation of the Almighty and become the recipients of the bestowals of the Kingdom! Thus will the dark world become luminous, the satanic field transformed into the courts of the Merciful, the mound of earth become the mound of Heaven and the terrestrial globe the Eternal Rose garden. Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Hearer, the Seer!

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Star of the West, vol. 5, no. 11, September 27, 1914)

Humanity

O God, my God! Thou seest how black darkness is enshrouding all regions, how all countries are burning with the flame of dissension, and the fire of war and carnage is blazing throughout the East and the West. Blood is flowing, corpses bestrew the ground, and severed heads are fallen on the dust of the battlefield.

O Lord! Have pity on these ignorant ones and look upon them with the eye of forgiveness and pardon. Extinguish this fire, so that these dense clouds which obscure the horizon may be scattered, the Sun of Reality shine forth with the rays of conciliation, this intense gloom be dispelled and the resplendent light of peace shed its radiance upon all countries.

O Lord! Draw up the people from the abyss of the ocean of hatred and enmity, and deliver them from this impenetrable darkness. Unite their hearts, and brighten their eyes with the light of peace and reconciliation. Deliver them from the depths of war and bloodshed, and free them from the darkness of error. Remove the veil from their eyes, and enlighten their hearts with the light of guidance. Treat them with Thy tender mercy and compassion, and deal not with them according to Thy justice and wrath which cause the limbs of the mighty to quake.

Women – Spiritual transformation; “heavenly power”; Assistance; “inspiration of the Kingdom”

O Bahá'u'lláh! Assist these noble maidservants; make these worldly daughters heavenly; inspire their hearts and gladden their souls.

O Bahá'u'lláh! Make these bodies as light-giving candles, these beings the envy of flower gardens and fill their souls with a melody which will enrapture the Supreme Concourse and make them dance for joy. Make each of them a brilliant star so that the world of existence may be illumined with their light.

O Bahá'u'lláh! Give them heavenly power, bestow on them the inspiration of the Kingdom and vouchsafe to them divine assistance so that they may be enabled to render service unto Thee.

Thou are the Compassionate, the Merciful and the Lord of Bounty and Favor. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Revealed at the weekly meeting of the Bahá'í women at the home of Mrs. Krug, November 12: New York; recorded by Mahmud Zarqani; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)

Believers - Assistance

O Thou Heavenly Father!

Thou hast the hosts of the Kingdom and the spiritual angels. We, indigent souls are broken winged birds; yet we yearn to soar toward the immensity of the Kingdom. We are thirsty fish; we seek the Sea of the Water of Life. We are the butterflies of the nether world; we long for the Lamp of the Realm on High. We are in the utmost weakness and feebleness; yet we are fighting against the armies of the world.

Therefore, Lord of Hosts! confirm us so that the army of Light may became victorious and the legions of the darkness be defeated. Assist us in the service of the Kingdom and acquaint us with the Divine Mysteries. Rejoice us with the glad tidings of the everlasting sovereignty and bestow upon us a portion and a share of the Life Eternal. Suffer the tongues to be unloosed and grant sight to the eyes; so that we may behold the world of the Kingdom and may praise with an eloquent speech Thy Beauty and Thy Perfection.

Verily, Thou art the Bestower and the Kind!

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Star of the West, vol. 5, no. 10, September 8, 1914)

Praise & Gratitude; Sacrifice & Contributions

O my God! O my God! Favor belongs to Thee, Generosity belongs to Thee! Praise belongs to Thee and Glorification is Thine, for that which Thou hast bestowed upon these indigent ones, granted a refuge and asylum to these weak ones in the cave of Thy protection and preservation, assisted them in the service of Thy Cause and confirmed them in the worship of Thy Exalted Threshold.

Lord! They have sacrificed their belongings and souls in Thy path, contributed for love of Thee and missed no chance or opportunity in spreading Thy Signs, diffusing Thy Word, promulgating Thy Name among Thy servants and proclaiming Thy wonders among Thy creatures!

Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Most High, the Omnipresent; and verily Thou art the Clement and the Most Merciful!

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Star of the West’, vol. 5, no. 9, 1914)

Prayer for a better harvest

O God! Grant Thy favour, and bestow Thy blessing. Vouchsafe Thy grace, and give a portion of Thy bounty. Enable these men to witness during this year the fulfillment of their hopes. Send down Thy heavenly rain, and provide Thy plenteousness and abundance. Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (From a Tablet to a group of believers; The Compilation of Compilations, vol. III, Economics, Agriculture, and Related Subjects)

Prayer before a meal

[Before eating 'Abdu'l-Bahá rose and recited the following prayer:]

He is God! O Lord! We are assembled here in the utmost love and are turned toward Thy Kingdom. We seek none other but Thee and desire not but Thy good pleasure.

O Lord! Make this food heavenly and make those assembled here of the hosts of Thy Supreme Concourse so that they may become life-giving and the cause of the enlightenment of the world of man, that they may arise to guide all the peoples of the world.

Thou art the All-Powerful, the Almighty, the Forgiving and the Kind.

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Recited on November 9, Washington DC, at the Feast of the Covenant; recorded by Mahmud Zarqani; ‘Mahmud’s Diary’)

Believers – Praise and Gratitude, Contributions to the Faith

O my God! O my God! Favor belongs to Thee, Generosity belongs to Thee! Praise belongs to Thee and Glorification is Thine, for that which Thou hast bestowed upon these indigent ones, granted a refuge and asylum to these weak ones in the cave of Thy protection and preservation, assisted them in the service of Thy Cause and confirm them in the worship of Thy Exalted Threshold.

O Lord! They have sacrificed their belongings and souls in Thy path, contributed for love of Thee and missed no chance or opportunity in spreading Thy Signs, diffusing Thy Word, promulgating Thy Name among Thy servants and proclaiming Thy wonders among Thy creatures!

Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Most High, the Omnipresent; and verily Thou art the Clement and the Most Merciful! 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Star of the West, vol. 5, no. 9, August 20, 1914)

Individual – Praise and Gratitude

Praise be unto Thee, Who art my God and the God of all men, and my Desire and the Desire of all them that have recognized Thee, and my Beloved and the Beloved of such as have acknowledged Thy unity, and the Object of my adoration and of the adoration of them that have near access to Thee, and my Wish and the Wish of such as are wholly devoted to Thee, and my Hope and the Hope of them that have fixed their hearts upon Thee, and my Refuge and the Refuge of all such as have hastened towards Thee, and my Haven and the Haven of whosoever hath repaired unto Thee, and my Goal and the Goal of all them that have set themselves towards Thee, and my Object and the Object of those who have fixed their gaze upon Thee, and my Paradise and the Paradise of them that have ascended towards Thee, and my Lode-star and the Lode-star of all such as yearn after Thee, and my Joy and the Joy of all them that love Thee, and my Light and the Light of all such as have erred and asked to be forgiven by Thee, and my Exultation and the Exultation of all them that remember Thee, and my Stronghold and the Stronghold of all such as have fled to Thee, and my Sanctuary and the Sanctuary of all that dread Thee, and my Lord and the Lord of all such as dwell in the heavens and on the earth!

Unto Thee be praise for that Thou hast enraptured me by the sweetness of Thine utterances, and set me towards the horizon above which the splendors of the Day-Star of Thy face have shone, and caused me to turn unto Thee at a time when most of Thy creatures had broken off from Thee. 

- Baha’u’llah  (‘Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u’llah’)

Individual – Healing: “to purge me with the waters of Thy bounty from every affliction and disorder, and from all weakness and feebleness”

O God, my God! I beg of Thee by the ocean of Thy healing, and by the splendors of the Day-Star of Thy grace, and by Thy Name through which Thou didst subdue Thy servants, and by the pervasive power of Thy most exalted Word and the potency of Thy most august Pen, and by Thy mercy that hath preceded the creation of all who are in heaven and on earth, to purge me with the waters of Thy bounty from every affliction and disorder, and from all weakness and feebleness.

Thou seest, O my Lord, Thy suppliant waiting at the door of Thy bounty, and him who hath set his hopes on Thee clinging to the cord of Thy generosity. Deny him not, I beseech Thee, the things he seeketh from the ocean of Thy grace and the Day-Star of Thy loving-kindness.

Powerful art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. There is none other God save Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous. 

- Baha’u’llah  (‘Prayers and meditations by Baha’u’llah’)