Humanity – Revealed during WWI

O kind God! Hearken to the cry of these helpless nations! O pure Lord, show Thy pity to these orphaned children! O incomparable Almighty, stop this destructive torrent! O Creator of the world and the inhabitants thereof, cause the extinction of this burning fire! O Listener to our cries, come to the rescue of the orphans! O Ideal Comforter, console the mothers whose hearts are torn and whose souls are filled with the blood of irremediable loss! O Clement and Merciful, grant the blessing of Thy grace to the weeping eyes and burning hearts of the fathers. Restore calmness to this surging tempest and change this world-encircling war into Peace and Conciliation.

Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent and the Powerful and, verily, Thou art the Seer and the Hearer! 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Star of the West’, vol. 5, no. 16, December 12, 1914; translated on October 4, 1914)

Humanity & Believers – Unity; Sacrifice; Detachment; Tranquility; Spiritual character

Bring them together again, O Lord, by the power of Thy Covenant, and gather their dispersion by the might of Thy Promise, and unite their hearts by the dominion of Thy Love; and make them love each other so that they may sacrifice their spirits, expend their money, and scatter themselves for the love of one another. O Lord, cause to descend upon them quietness and tranquility! Shower upon them the Clouds of Thy Mercy in great abundance, and make them to characterize themselves with the characteristics of the Spiritual!

O Lord, make us firm in Thy noble command, and bestow upon us Thy Gifts through Thy Bounty, Grace and Munificence.

Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Merciful and Benevolent. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Star of the West’, vol. 5, no. 15, December 12, 1914)

Prayer for departed (woman) – “Overlook her shortcomings; confer upon her Thy Grace!”

Endear thou this maidservant of Thy Threshold… 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. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Star of the West, vol. 5, no. 13, November 4, 1914)

Individual – “Sanctify… mine entire being from turning unto anyone but Thee”

Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Sanctify mine eye, and mine ear, and my tongue, and my spirit, and my heart, and my soul, and my body, and mine entire being from turning unto anyone but Thee. Give me then to drink from the cup that brimmeth with the sealed wine of Thy glory. 

- Bahá’u’lláh  (‘Additional Prayers Revealed by Baha’u’llah; Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Centre)

Individual – Thanksgiving: “at all times and render Thee praise under all conditions”

He is God, exalted is He, the Lord of might and grandeur!

O God, my God! I yield Thee thanks at all times and render Thee praise under all conditions.

In prosperity, all praise is Thine, O Lord of the Worlds, and in its absence, all gratitude is Thine, O Desire of them that have recognized Thee!

In adversity, all honour is Thine, O Adored One of all who are in heaven and on earth, and in affliction, all glory is Thine, O Enchanter of the hearts of those who yearn after Thee!

In hardship, all praise is Thine, O Thou the Goal of them that seek after Thee, and in comfort, all thanksgiving is Thine, O Thou whose remembrance is treasured in the hearts of those who are nigh unto Thee!

In wealth, all splendour is Thine, O Lord of them that are devoted to Thee, and in poverty, all command is Thine, O Thou the Hope of them that acknowledge Thy unity!

In joy, all glory is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God, and in sorrow, all beauty is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God!

In hunger, all justice is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God, and in satiety, all grace is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God!

In my homeland, all bounty is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God, and in exile, all decree is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God!

Under the sword, all munificence is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God, and in the safety of home, all perfection is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God!

In the lofty mansion, all generosity is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God, and upon the lowly dust, all favour is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God!

In prison, all fidelity is Thine, O Thou the Bestower of gifts, and in confinement, all eternity is Thine, O Thou Who art the ever-abiding King!

All bounty is Thine, O Thou Who art the Lord of bounty, and the Sovereign of bounty, and the King of bounty! I bear witness that Thou art to be praised in Thy doings, O Thou Source of bounty, and to be obeyed in Thy behests, O Thou Ocean of bounty, He from Whom all bounty doth proceed, He to Whom all bounty doth return! 

- Bahá’u’lláh  (‘Additional Prayers Revealed by Baha’u’llah; Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Centre)

Prayer for removing “perplexing difficulties” and “formidable obstacles”

O Divine Providence! Perplexing difficulties have arisen and formidable obstacles have appeared. O Lord! Remove these difficulties and show forth the evidences of Thy might and power. Ease these hardships and smooth our way along this arduous path. O Divine Providence! The obstacles are unyielding, and our toil and hardship are conjoined with a myriad adversities. There is no helper save Thee, and no succourer except Thyself.  We set all our hopes on Thee, and commit all our affairs unto Thy care. Thou art the Guide and the Remover of every difficulty, and Thou art the Wise, the Seeing, and the Hearing. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘A selection of prayers prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice and released in commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá's passing.’)

Group – “Grant them a haven and a refuge within the shelter of Thy protection, and shield them from tests and trials.”; “infallible grace”; “ sustaining power of the Holy Spirit”

O Thou kind Lord!  These souls are Thy friends who are gathered together and are carried away by Thy love. They are transported by the rays of Thy beauty and captivated by Thy musk-laden locks. They have surrendered their hearts to Thee and, lowly and helpless, wander in Thy path. They have forsaken friend and stranger alike and have laid hold of Thy unity, bowing in adoration before Thee.

They belonged to this nether world; Thou didst welcome them into Thy Kingdom.  They were as withered plants in the wilderness of deprivation and loss; Thou didst make them the saplings of the garden of knowledge and understanding. Their voices were stilled; Thou didst cause them to speak forth. They were dispirited; Thou didst shed illumination upon them. They were as parched and barren soil; Thou didst turn them into a rose-garden of inner meanings. They were as children in the world of humanity; Thou didst enable them to attain heavenly maturity.

O Thou kind One! Grant them a haven and a refuge within the shelter of Thy protection, and shield them from tests and trials. Lend them Thine invisible assistance, and confer upon them Thine infallible grace.

O Thou kind and beloved Lord! They are as the body, and Thou art the Spirit of life.  The body is dependent for its freshness and beauty upon the grace of the spirit.  They stand, therefore, in need of Thy confirmations and yearn for the sustaining power of the Holy Spirit in this new Revelation. Thou art the Mighty. Thou art the Giver, the Provider, the Bestower, and the Forgiver. Thou art the One Who shineth brightly from the invisible Realm. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘A selection of prayers prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice and released in commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá's passing.’; Online Baha'i Reference Library of the Baha'i World Center)

Individual – “In regard to his affairs, let him repeat nineteen times… then reflect upon the matter and undertake whatever cometh to mind”

In regard to his affairs, let him repeat nineteen times: “Thou seest me, O my God, detached from all save Thee and cleaving unto Thee. Guide me, then, in all mine affairs unto that which profiteth me for the glory of Thy Cause and the loftiness of the station of Thy loved ones.” Let him then reflect upon the matter and undertake whatever cometh to mind. This vehement opposition of the enemies will indeed give way to supreme prosperity. 

- Bahá’u’lláh  (‘Additional Prayers Revealed by Baha’u’llah; Online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Centre)

Believers – “to assist Thy servants and Thy handmaidens to become steadfast in Thy Cause and to arise in Thy service”

O my God! O my God! I testify that this is Thy Day which hath been mentioned in Thy Books, Thy Epistles, Thy Psalms and Thy Tablets. In it Thou hast manifested that which was hidden in Thy Knowledge and stored up in the repositories of Thine unfailing protection. I beseech Thee, O Lord of the world, by Thy Most Great Name whereby the limbs of the people were shaken, to assist Thy servants and Thy handmaidens to become steadfast in Thy Cause and to arise in Thy service.

Verily, Thou art potent to do whatsoever Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all things. Thou protectest whomsoever Thou willest through Thy Power and Dominion. And verily, Thou art the Almighty, the All-Subduing, the Most Powerful. 

- Bahá’u’lláh  (‘Additional Prayers Revealed by Baha’u’llah; Online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Centre)

Individual – Praise & gratitude; Nearness to God; “to appear from me… that which is worthy of Thee”

Praise be to Thee, O my God! Thou didst call me, and I answered Thee. Thou didst summon me, and I hastened unto Thee, entering beneath the shade of Thy mercy and seeking shelter at the threshold of the door of Thy grace. Thou hast nurtured me, O Lord, through Thy providence, chosen me for Thee alone, created me for Thy service, and appointed me to stand before Thee. I beseech Thee, by Thine all-glorious Name and by Thy beauty that hath dawned above the horizon of Thy most exalted Essence, to cause me to be related to Thee even as Thou hadst done so aforetime, and not to separate me from Thyself. Cause then to appear from me, O my God, that which is worthy of Thee. Thou art, in truth, powerful over all things. 

- Bahá’u’lláh  (‘Additional Prayers Revealed by Baha’u’llah; Online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Centre)

“Bestow…Thy forgiveness and pardon, and grant Thy mercy unto all”

O Thou forgiving Lord! Although some souls have spent the days of their lives in ignorance, and became estranged and contumacious, yet, with one wave from the ocean of Thy forgiveness, all those encompassed by sin will be set free. Whomsoever Thou willest Thou makest a confidant, and whosoever is not the object of Thy choice is accounted a transgressor. Shouldst Thou deal with us with Thy justice, we are all naught but sinners and deserving to be shut out from Thee, but shouldst Thou uphold mercy, every sinner would be made pure and every stranger a friend. Bestow, then, Thy forgiveness and pardon, and grant Thy mercy unto all.

Thou art the Forgiver, the Lightgiver and the Omnipotent. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá  (‘Baha’i Prayers’, compiled by the United States Bahá’í Publishing Trust; online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Centre)

Individual – “brighten mine eyes and gladden my heart”

O Thou by Whose name the sea of joy moveth and the fragrance of happiness is wafted! I ask Thee to show me from the wonders of Thy favour that which shall brighten mine eyes and gladden my heart. Thou, verily, art the All-Bounteous, the Most Generous. 

- Bahá’u’lláh  (‘Additional Prayers Revealed by Baha’u’llah; Online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Centre)

Believers – Praise; Confirmation; Attraction; Rejuvenation; Transformation

Glory be unto Thee, O Thou whose Seas of Bestowals are waving and whose Breezes of Providence are wafting over all those who have arisen to promote Thy Word amongst mankind and are hastening towards the city of self-sacrifice with a heart overflowing with love and fidelity and a tongue eloquent with the praise of Thy Abha Beauty!

O Lord! Confirm whoever opens his mouth in the explanation of Thy Cause; arises in the diffusion of Thy Fragrances, from whose lips flows the irresistible torrents of evidence in the elucidation of Thy Religion; waves like unto the surging of the mighty ocean; sings like unto the singing of the golden-tongued nightingale in the Garden of Thy Knowledge, and roars like unto the roaring of the lion in the Forest of Thy Favor.

O Lord! Cause them to quaff from the goblet which is filled with the Wine of Thy Guidance, exhilarate them with the intoxication of Thy Elixir, suffer them to speak of Thy most incontrovertible proofs, inspire them with irrefragable evidences and demonstrations and teach them the essences of wisdom and understanding.

Verily, thou art the Clement, Thou art the Confirmer, the Powerful, the Mighty and the Omnipotent, and verily there is no God beside the Lord of Grace and Mercy!

' Abdu'l-Baha (Star of the West, vol. 5, no. 14, November 23, 1914)

Individual & Humanity – “Open Thou, O my Lord, mine eyes and the eyes of all them that have sought Thee, that we may recognize Thee with Thine own eyes”

Open Thou, O my Lord, mine eyes and the eyes of all them that have sought Thee, that we may recognize Thee with Thine own eyes. This is Thy bidding given us in the Book sent down by Thee unto Him Whom Thou hast chosen by Thy behest, Whom Thou hast singled out for Thy favor above all Thy creatures, Whom Thou hast been pleased to invest with Thy sovereignty, and Whom Thou hast specially favored and entrusted with Thy Message unto Thy people. Praised be Thou, therefore, O my God, inasmuch as Thou hast graciously enabled us to recognize Him and to acknowledge whatsoever hath been sent down unto Him, and conferred upon us the honor of attaining the presence of the One Whom Thou didst promise in Thy Book and in Thy Tablets. 

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

Individual – Protection; “the good of both this world and the next”; “station of righteousness”; Steadfastness

He is the Peerless!

Praise be unto Thee, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Exalted Name in the Tabernacle of effulgent splendour, and by Thy Most Sublime Word in the Dominion of transcendent glory, to protect this servant, who hath enjoyed companionship with Thee, hearkened unto the accents of Thy voice and recognized Thy proof. Vouchsafe, then, unto him the good of both this world and the next, and grant unto him the station of righteousness in Thy presence, that his feet may not slip from Thine all-glorious and most exalted path. 

- Bahá’u’lláh  (‘Additional Prayers Revealed by Baha’u’llah; Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Centre)

Individual – Praise and gratitude for “guiding me unto the horizon of Thy Revelation”; Speech

Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God, for guiding me unto the horizon of Thy Revelation and for causing me to be mentioned by Thy Name. I beseech Thee, by the spreading rays of the Daystar of Thy providence and by the billowing waves of the Ocean of Thy mercy, to grant that my speech may bear a trace of the influence of Thine own exalted Word, attracting thereby the realities of all created things. Powerful art Thou to do what Thou willest through Thy wondrous and incomparable Utterance. 

- Bahá’u’lláh  (‘Additional Prayers Revealed by Baha’u’llah; Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Centre)

Individual (child) – Spiritual growth & development

O Thou pure God! I am a little child; grant that the breast of Thy loving-kindness be the breast that I cherish; suffer me to be nourished with the honey and the milk of Thy love; rear me in the bosom of Thy knowledge, and bestow upon me nobility and wisdom while I am still a child.

O Thou the Self-Sufficing God! Make me a confidant of the Kingdom of the Unseen. Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful. 

- ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá  (‘Bahá’í Prayers and Tablets for Children’; A Compilation Prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice; Baha’i online Reference Library of the Baha’i World Centre)

Believers – Praise and gratitude

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. 10, September 8, 1914)

Believers – Blessings and assistance for those engaged in building Mashriqu’l-Adhkars

O God! O God! I implore Thee with throbbing heart and streaming tears, to aid each one who endeavors for the erection of the House of the Lord (Mashriqu’l-Adhkar), the Building wherein Thy Name is mentioned every mom and eve. Send down Thy benediction on whomsoever endeavors for the uprising of this Edifice among the sects and religions. and confirm him in every good deed of mankind; open the doors of riches and wealth unto him and make him an inheritor of the treasures of the Kingdom which perish not; make him the sign of giving among the peoples and reinforce him by the sea of Thy generosity and bounty, which is surging with the waves of grace and favor. Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Merciful and the Bountiful.

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

Group – Nearness; Assistance; Victory of the Cause; Service; Spiritual growth

He is God

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, O Lord of Hosts! confirm us so that the army of Light may become 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. 11, September 27, 1914, 1914)

Individual (child) – Spiritual, emotional, moral growth and development; Happiness; Servitude

O my Lord! O my Lord! I am a child of tender years. Nourish me from the breast of Thy mercy, train me in the bosom of Thy love, educate me in the school of Thy guidance and develop me under the shadow of Thy bounty. Deliver me from darkness, make me a brilliant light; free me from unhappiness; make me a flower of the rose-garden; suffer me to become a servant of Thy threshold and confer upon me the disposition and nature of the righteous; make me a cause of bounty to the human world and crown my head with the diadem of eternal life.

Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Seer, the Hearer. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Bahá’í Prayers and Tablets for Children’; A Compilation Prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice; Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Centre)

Group – Spiritual growth; Detachment; “Bestow on us joy and delight”; Contentment; “peace and tranquillity”; Nearness

O Thou peerless and loving Lord! Though capacity and worthiness are lacking, and it is infinitely hard to withstand tribulations, yet worthiness and capacity are gifts vouchsafed by Thee. O Lord! Give us capacity and make us worthy, that we may evince the most great steadfastness, renounce this world and all its people, kindle the fire of Thy love, and even as candles, burn bright with a consuming flame and shed abroad our radiance.

O Lord of the Kingdom! Deliver us from this world of vain illusions, and lead us unto the realm of the infinite. Suffer us to be wholly freed from this nether life, and cause us to be blessed with the bountiful gifts of the Kingdom. Release us from this world of nothingness that beareth the semblance of reality, and confer upon us life everlasting. Bestow on us joy and delight, and favour us with gladness and contentment. Comfort our hearts, and grant peace and tranquillity to our souls, so that upon ascending unto Thy Kingdom we may attain Thy presence and may rejoice in the realms above. Thou art the Giver, the Bestower, the Almighty! 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  ('Twenty-six Prayers Revealed by ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá'; A selection of prayers prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice and released in commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá's passing: Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Centre)

Forgiveness for one’s mother

O Thou forgiving God! Forgive the sins of my loving mother, pardon her shortcomings, cast upon her the glance of Thy gracious providence, and enable her to gain admittance into Thy Kingdom.

O God! From the earliest days of my life she educated and nurtured me, yet I did not recompense her for her toil and labours. Do Thou reward her by granting her eternal life and making her exalted in Thy Kingdom.

Verily, Thou art the Forgiver, the Bestower, and the Kind. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Additional Prayers Revealed by ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá’; Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Centre)

Prayer for every “just government” and “every sovereign authority… that shieldeth the poor and the weak”

O my God! O Thou Who endowest every just power and equitable dominion with abiding glory and everlasting might, with permanence and stability, with constancy and honour! Aid Thou by Thy heavenly grace every government that acteth justly towards its subjects and every sovereign authority, derived from Thee, that shieldeth the poor and the weak under the banner of its protection.

I beseech Thee, by Thy divine grace and surpassing bounty, to aid this just government, the canopy of whose authority is spread over vast and mighty lands and the evidences of whose justice are apparent in its prosperous and flourishing regions. Assist, O my God, its hosts, raise aloft its ensigns, bestow influence upon its word and its utterance, protect its lands, increase its honour, spread its fame, reveal its signs, and unfurl its banner through Thine all-subduing power and Thy resplendent might in the kingdom of creation.

Thou, verily, aidest whomsoever Thou willest, and Thou, verily, art the Almighty, the Most Powerful. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Additional Prayers Revealed by ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá’; Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Centre)

Family – birth of a daughter

O God, my God! I yield Thee thanks for having guided me unto Thy straight Path and enabled me to recognize Thee and turn unto Thee, and for having made known unto me the oneness of Thine Essence and the sanctity of Thy Being. I implore Thee, by them Who are the Daysprings of Thy Cause, the Dawning-Places of Thy grace, and the Repositories of Thy knowledge and wisdom, to bless the gift which Thou hast bestowed upon me through Thy bounty and favour. Do Thou ordain for me and for her mother, as well as for her, the good of this world and of the next. Thou art, verily, the Lord of all being, Who hearest and art ready to answer. [1] 

- Bahá’u’lláh  (‘Additional Prayers Revealed by Baha’u’llah; Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Centre)

[1] Revealed for the recipient on the occasion of the birth of his daughter.