Individual (woman) – Protection; Assistance; Teaching

Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Thou art He the fire of Whose love hath set ablaze the hearts of them who have recognized Thy unity, and the splendors of Whose countenance have illuminated the faces of such as have drawn nigh unto Thy court. How plenteous, O my God, is the stream of Thy knowledge! How sweet, O my Beloved, is the injury which, in my love for Thee, and for the sake of Thy pleasure, I suffer from the darts of the wicked doers! How pleasing are the wounds which, in Thy path and in order to proclaim Thy Faith, I sustain from the swords of the infidels!

I beseech Thee, by Thy name through which Thou turnest restlessness into tranquillity, fear into confidence, weakness into strength, and abasement into glory, that Thou of Thy grace wilt aid me and Thy servants to exalt Thy name, to deliver Thy Message, and to proclaim Thy Cause, in such wise that we may remain unmoved by either the assaults of the transgressors or the wrath of the infidels, O Thou Who art my Well-Beloved!

I am, O my Lord, Thy handmaiden, who hath hearkened to Thy call, and hastened unto Thee, fleeing from herself and resting her heart upon Thee. I implore Thee, O my Lord, by Thy name out of which all the treasures of the earth were brought forth, to shield me from the hints of such as have disbelieved in Thee and repudiated Thy truth.

Powerful art Thou to do what Thou pleasest. Thou art, verily, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. 

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

Individual – Spiritual transformation; Steadfastness; “give me a new life at every instant and bestow upon me the breaths of the Holy Spirit at every moment”

O Thou beloved of my heart and soul! I have no refuge save Thee. I raise no voice at dawn save in Thy commemoration and praise. Thy love encompasseth me and Thy grace is perfect. My hope is in Thee. O God, give me a new life at every instant and bestow upon me the breaths of the Holy Spirit at every moment, in order that I may remain steadfast in Thy love, attain unto great felicity, perceive the manifest light and be in the state of utmost tranquillity and submissiveness. Verily, Thou art the Giver, the Forgiver, the Compassionate. 

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

Believers (women) – Spiritual transformation: “sanctify them from whatsoever becometh not their kinship with Thee”

Glory be to Thee, O my God! My face hath been set towards Thy face, and my face is, verily, Thy face, and my call is Thy call, and my Revelation Thy Revelation, and my self Thy Self, and my Cause Thy Cause, and my behest Thy behest, and my Being Thy Being, and my sovereignty Thy sovereignty, and my glory Thy glory, and my power Thy power.

I implore Thee, O Thou Fashioner of the nations and the King of eternity, to guard Thy handmaidens within the tabernacle of Thy chastity, and to cancel such of their deeds as are unworthy of Thy days. Purge out, then, from them, O my God, all doubts and idle fancies, and sanctify them from whatsoever becometh not their kinship with Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of names, and the Source of utterance. Thou art He in Whose grasp are the reins of the entire creation.

No God is there but Thee, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, the Self-Subsisting. 

- Baha’u’llah  (‘Baha’i Prayers’; online Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

Individual - Being unable to properly glorify or describe God; Assistance; Help with spiritual rejuvenation; Detachment; Service and humility

O my Lord! I have drawn nigh unto Thee, in the depths of this darksome night, confiding in Thee with the tongue of my heart, trembling with joy at the sweet scents that blow from Thy realm, the All-Glorious, calling unto Thee, saying:

O my Lord, no words do I find to glorify Thee; no way do I see for the bird of my mind to soar upward to Thy Kingdom of Holiness; for Thou, in Thy very essence, art sanctified above those tributes, and in Thy very being art beyond the reach of those praises which are offered Thee by the people that Thou hast created. In the sanctity of Thine own being hast Thou ever been exalted above the understanding of the learned among the Company on high, and forever wilt Thou remain enwrapped within the holiness of Thine own reality, unreached by the knowledge of those dwellers in Thine exalted Kingdom who glorify Thy Name.

O God, my God! How can I glorify or describe Thee inaccessible as Thou art; immeasurably high and sanctified art Thou above every description and praise.

O God, my God! Have mercy then upon my helpless state, my poverty, my misery, my abasement! Give me to drink from the generous cup of Thy grace and forgiveness, stir me with the sweet scents of Thy love, gladden my bosom with the light of Thy knowledge, purify my soul with the mysteries of Thy oneness, raise me to life with the gentle breeze that cometh from the gardens of Thy mercy—till I sever myself from all else but Thee, and lay hold of the hem of Thy garment of grandeur, and consign to oblivion all that is not Thee, and be companioned by the sweet breathings that waft during these Thy days, and attain unto faithfulness at Thy Threshold of Holiness, and arise to serve Thy Cause, and to be humble before Thy loved ones, and, in the presence of Thy favoured ones, to be nothingness itself.

Verily art Thou the Helper, the Sustainer, the Exalted, the Most Generous.

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

Individual – Assistance; Protection

Glorified art Thou, O Lord! Verily I am poor while in truth Thou art rich; verily I am lowly while in truth Thou art mighty; verily I am impotent while in truth Thou art powerful; verily I am abased while in truth Thou art the most exalted; verily I am distressed while in truth Thou art the Lord of might.

Do Thou ordain for me, O Lord, every good thing Thou hast created or wilt create, and shield me from whatever evil Thou abhorrest from among the things Thou hast caused or wilt cause to exist. In truth Thy knowledge embraceth all things. Praised be Thou, verily no God is there but Thee, and nothing whatsoever in the heavens or on the earth and all that is between them can ever thwart Thy Purpose. Indeed potent art Thou over all things. 

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

Woman – Ease of child birth

He is the Ever-Abiding, the Almighty, the Most High.

Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! I implore Thee by this Name that hath been hemmed in by tribulations on every side and assailed by afflictions from every direction, in such wise that He findeth none to help Him on Thine earth or to succour Him in Thy dominion, to ease the pangs of labour for this handmaiden and guard her therefrom, and to free her from this pain and change it into comfort and relief. Potent art Thou to do what Thou willest, and able to ordain what Thou pleasest. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Incomparable, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate. 

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

Individual – to have a baby: “to bestow upon me a righteous child”; “to ordain for me what will profit me in every world of Thy worlds”

Praise be to Thee, O my God, that Thou didst graciously remember me through Thy Most Exalted Pen, at a time when Thou wert held in the Most Great Prison by reason of that which the hands of such enemies as had turned away from Thee and from Thy most resplendent signs had wrought. O my Lord! I have turned unto Thee and have set my face towards Thy Horizon. I beseech Thee, by the wrongs which He Who is the Dayspring of Thy signs and the Dawning-Place of Thy clear tokens hath suffered, to ordain for me what will profit me in every world of Thy worlds. Thou, verily, knowest me better than I know myself. Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

I entreat Thee, moreover, O Lord of all being and Possessor of all things visible and invisible, to bestow upon me a righteous child who may make mention of Thee on Thine earth and sing Thy praise throughout Thy realms; this, notwithstanding that Thou hast, with this Tablet, made me rich enough to dispense with every fruit, trace, or mention. I close my supplication, at this moment, with that which one of Thy chosen ones hath aforetime spoken: “O my Lord, leave me not childless, even though there is no better heir than Thyself.” [1] 

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

 [1] Qur’án 21:89

For parent who lost their newborn child

O Lord! Thou didst bestow and Thou didst summon back unto Thyself. Everything Thou dost purpose is to be obeyed, and all that Thou ordainest is the very essence of wisdom. I am content with Thy decree, yearning for Thy trials, and assured of Thy trust.

O God, my God! Cheer my heart through seemly patience and endurance under every grievous affliction. Bestow upon me fortitude, O Lord, and grant that I may be reckoned among Thy servants who have surrendered their will to Thy decree, who endure patiently every trial sent by Thee, who tread no path but that of resignation, and whom no grief, however great, can ever sadden. Thou art, in truth, the All-Bountiful, the Compassionate, the All-Merciful. [1] 

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

[1] Revealed for the recipient on the occasion of the death of his newborn child.

Prayer for Washington D.C

He is God.

O Divine Providence! Bestow happiness and blessings upon Washington. Illumine that land with the rays beaming from the faces of the friends, turn that region into an exalted paradise, and make that place of dust the envy of every verdant rose-garden. Assist Thou the friends and increase their number. Make the hearts to be recipients of inspiration and the souls to be daysprings of light. Thus may that region become a delectable paradise and that land be perfumed with the sweet fragrance of musk. 

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

Prayer for recitation at the grave of a martyr

Baha, praise, light, blessing and peace be upon thee [1], O thou fire of the Love of God, thou light of the Kingdom of God, thou radiance of the Gift of God, thou peerless pearl in the Sea of the Mercy of God, thou sturdy lion in the Jungle of the Guidance of God!

I testify that, verily, thou hast believed in God, thou hast become assured of the Verses of God, thou hast trusted in the appearance of the Kingdom of God, thou hast turned unto God, thou hast kept firm in the Covenant of God, thou hast served the Cause of God, thou hast endeavored to promote the Word of God, and thou hast suffered martyrdom in the path of God. May the soul of men be a sacrifice to thee!

Blessed is the land which is reddened by thy blood! Blessed is the heart which is burnt with the fire of thine afflictions! Blessed is the eye which weeps over thy disaster! Blessed are the hearts which are consumed by thy calamities! Blessed are the bosoms which are rent asunder by thy sufferings!

Praise be unto thee! Exaltation be unto thee! Faithfulness be unto thee! O thou sign of guidance and thou standard of great martyrdom!

O that the bullets which shot thee were shot at the breast of ‘Abdu’l-Baha! O that the darts which pierced thee would strike the heart of ‘Abdu’l-Baha! By the might of my Lord, afflictions are much more favored by ‘Abdu’l-Baha than the honey of life, inasmuch as this cup is overflowing with the gift of God.

Blessed is the one who attaineth to visit thy grave! Blessed is the forehead which is set against thy tomb! Blessed is the man who serves thy sepulchre! Blessed is the person who lights a lamp at thy resting-place!

I beg of God to cause spheres of light to descend upon thy sepulchre and the clouds of mercy to shower rains of forgiveness upon thy resting-place and tomb!

Verily, He is the Compensator, the Beneficent, the Giver! 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2)

[1] For recitation when visiting the tomb of his honor Reza, of Isfand-Abad, Iran, a famous and valiant man who suffered martyrdom in 1901. The chief religious magistrate of the locality commissioned a number of men to enter his home at night and they shot him to death.

Individual – Forgiveness & Protection

In the name of God, the Forgiver!

Although this wretched state in which I am, O my God, maketh me deserving of Thy wrath and punishment, yet it beseemeth Thy good-pleasure and Thy bounties to confer Thy forgiveness on Thy servants and to bestow Thy good favour upon them. I ask Thee by Thy Name, which Thou hast made the King of all names, to protect me by Thy power and Thine omnipotence from all calamity and all that is repugnant to Thee, and from all that is contrary to Thy will. Thou art supreme over all things. 

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

Individual – Thanksgiving for birth of a baby

He is God, exalted is He, the Lord of wisdom and utterance.

Say: I yield Thee thanks, O my God, and my Master, and my Mainstay, for having aided me to recognize the Dawning-Place of Thy signs, the Dayspring of Thy testimonies, and the Fountainhead of Thy laws and commandments, Him unto Whom Thou didst reveal the Qur’án, and through Whom Thou didst distinguish truth from falsehood and light from darkness. I beseech Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of all created things and the Educator of all beings, by the billows of the Ocean of Thy favour and the effulgent splendours of the Day-Star of Thy bounty that have been shed upon Thy people, to ordain for this servant of Thine that which will exalt him by Thy name amidst Thy creatures. Write down, then, for me what Thou hast written down for Thy chosen ones and Thy loved ones. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all who are in heaven and on earth.

I praise Thee and thank Thee, moreover, for the blessing Thou hast sent down from the heaven of Thy will and the firmament of Thy purpose. I beseech Thee, by Thy most mighty signs and by Thy most great, most holy, and most exalted Cause, to bless his arrival unto us. Do Thou ordain for him what will cause every heart to be gladdened and every eye to be solaced. Verily Thou art God. There is none other God but Thee, the omnipotent Protector, the Self-Subsisting. [1] 

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

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

Individual – “that the end of my days may be distinguished above their beginning”; to receive Baha’u’llah’s “grace and loving-kindness,…care and protection”; to receive “manifold blessings” in the next world

O Lord! Grant me a measure of Thy grace and loving-kindness, Thy care and protection, Thy shelter and bounty, that the end of my days may be distinguished above their beginning, and the close of my life may open the portals to Thy manifold blessings. May Thy loving-kindness and bounty descend upon me at every moment, and Thy forgiveness and mercy be vouchsafed with every breath, until, beneath the sheltering shadow of Thine upraised Standard, I may at last repair to the Kingdom of the All-Praised. Thou art the Bestower and the Ever-Loving, and Thou art, verily, the Lord of grace and bounty. 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Baha’i Reference Library of the Baha’i World Center)

A prayer for recitation at the grave of a martyr

O thou [1] peerless, matchless, glorious martyr!

Verily, I salute thy pure dust, and thy holy, blessed tomb, which is perfumed by the fragrances of sanctity which are blowing upon thee from the Supreme Concourse, and the lights which are cast upon thee from the Kingdom of Abha, and the copious rain which purifieth thy fragrant plain. Upon thee be Baha! Upon thee be mercy, O thou lamp ignited with the fire of the love of God, irradiated with the ray of the gift of God, and aflame in the glass of the knowledge of God! Thou art he who hath drunk the cup of sacrifice, hath expended his life in the path of God, and hath shed his blood on the earth in love for the Beauty of God. For they did not appreciate thy merit, denied thy dignity, were veiled from beholding the gift of thy Lord, and supposed themselves to be just. No! By no means!

Punishment is for such as persecuted thee, hell is for such as rejected thee, fire is for such as sentenced thee to death, infernal flame be for such as betrayed thee, and the hellish gulf is for such as shed thy blood with impunity! And paradise is for such as love thee, heaven is for such as serve thee, the everlasting abode is for such as visit (thy tomb)!

Upon thee be Baha! Upon thee be greeting and praise, O thou who hast suffered martyrdom in the path of God, and art submerged in the ocean of the mercy of God! Blessed are the nostrils which will be perfumed by the scent of thy brilliant spot! Blessed are the eyes which will be illumined by the ray which is being cast upon thee from the bounty of the Kingdom of Abha!

I beg of God to make thy sepulchre a mine of mercy, a depository of gifts, and to encompass it with manifest signs. Verily, He is the Beneficent! the Giver! Verily, He is gracious, and showeth great favor toward martyrs, and He is the Bestower, the Generous!

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (‘Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2)

[1] Siyyd-Jaffar, of Isfand-Abad, Persia, who suffered martyrdom in 1901. When he would not recant, Mulla Abdu’l-Kani, the chief religious magistrate of the locality, turned him over to three different men for execution, and when each refused to carry out the order, the Mulla struck him on the head with a stone, and, with the assistance of another Mulla, put him to death.

A prayer for Thornton Chase recited by ‘Abdu’l-Baha at his grave

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 favor. 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 among 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 art the Merciful, the Precious, the Omnipotent!

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Star of the West, vol. 4, no. 11, September 27, 1913)

Individual – Attraction to God; Teaching; Obedience; Grace and blessings

Do Thou destine for me, O my God, what will set me, at all times, towards Thee, and enable me to cleave continually to the cord of Thy grace, and to proclaim Thy name, and to look for whatsoever may flow down from Thy pen. I am poor and desolate, O my Lord, and Thou art the All-Possessing, the Most High. Have pity, then, upon me through the wonders of Thy mercy, and send down upon me, every moment of my life, the things wherewith Thou hast recreated the hearts of all Thy creatures who have recognized Thy unity, and of all Thy people who are wholly devoted to Thee.

Thou, verily, art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. 

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

Individual – Steadfastness; Service; Loyalty and submission

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I implore Thee by the Dawning-Place of Thy signs and by the Revealer of Thy clear tokens to grant that I may, under all conditions, hold fast the cord of Thy loving providence and cling tenaciously to the hem of Thy generosity. Reckon me then with those whom the changes and chances of the world have failed to deter from serving Thee and from bearing allegiance unto Thee, whom the onslaught of the people hath been powerless to hinder from magnifying Thy Name and celebrating Thy praise. Graciously assist me, O my Lord, to do whatever Thou lovest and desirest. Enable me then to fulfil that which will exalt Thy Name and will set ablaze the fire of Thy love.

Thou art, in truth, the Forgiving, the Bountiful. 

- Baha’u’llah  (‘Days of Remembrance’)

Pregnant woman

O Lord, my Lord! I praise Thee and thank Thee for the favour Thou hast bestowed upon this feeble handmaiden of Thine, Thy maidservant who is supplicating and praying fervently to Thee, inasmuch as Thou hast guided her unto Thy Straight Path, led her to Thy luminous Kingdom, inclined her ears to Thy most sublime Call in the midmost heart of the world, and unveiled to her eyes Thy signs which testify to the revelation of Thy supreme dominion over all things.

O my Lord! I dedicate that which is in my womb to Thee. Grant that this child may be praised in Thy Kingdom, may be blessed by Thy grace and bounty, and may grow and develop within the stronghold of Thine education. Verily, Thou art the Most Generous, the Lord of grace abounding. 

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

Individual – A prayer for the Fast: “Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious…”

I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy mighty Sign, and by the revelation of Thy grace amongst men, to cast me not away from the gate of the city of Thy presence, and to disappoint not the hopes I have set on the manifestations of Thy grace amidst Thy creatures. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung all in this world and in the world to come.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy most sweet Voice and by Thy most exalted Word, to draw me ever nearer to the threshold of Thy door, and to suffer me not to be far removed from the shadow of Thy mercy and the canopy of Thy bounty. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung all in this world and in the world to come.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by the splendor of Thy luminous brow and the brightness of the light of Thy countenance, which shineth from the all-highest horizon, to attract me by the fragrance of Thy raiment, and make me drink of the choice wine of Thine utterance. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung all in this world and in the world to come.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy hair which moveth across Thy face, even as Thy most exalted pen moveth across the pages of Thy Tablets, shedding the musk of hidden meanings over the kingdom of Thy creation, so to raise me up to serve Thy Cause that I shall not fall back, nor be hindered by the suggestions of them who have caviled at Thy signs and turned away from Thy face. Thou seest me, O my God, holding to Thy Name, the Most Holy, the Most Luminous, the Most Mighty, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and clinging to the hem of the robe to which have clung all in this world and in the world to come.

A prayer for the Fast

Exalted art Thou, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by those whom Thou hast bidden to observe the Fast for the sake of Thy love and good-pleasure, who have demonstrated their allegiance to Thy law and followed Thy verses and precepts, and who have broken their fast while enjoying near access to Thee and beholding Thy countenance. By Thy glory! Since they are turning to the court of Thy good-pleasure, all their days are days of fasting. Were the mouth of Thy will to address them saying: "Observe, for My beauty's sake, the fast, O people, and set no limit to its duration," I swear by the majesty of Thy glory, that every one of them will faithfully observe it, will abstain from whatsoever will violate Thy law, and will continue to do so until they yield up their souls unto Thee4, for they have tasted the sweetness of Thy call, and become inebriated with Thy remembrance and praise and with the words proceeding from the lips of Thy command.

I beseech Thee, O Lord, by Thyself, the Exalted, the Most High, and by Thy Latter Manifestation through Whom the kingdom of names and the dominion of attributes have been convulsed, and the inhabitants of earth and heaven became intoxicated, and all who dwell in the realms of Revelation and creation trembled except such as have fasted from all that is repugnant to Thy good-pleasure and restrained themselves from turning toward aught besides Thee, to include us among them and to write down our names on the Tablet whereon Thou hast inscribed their names. O God, through the wonders of Thy might and the tokens of Thy sovereignty and grandeur, Thou didst send forth their names from out of the sea of Thy names, and didst create their inner essences out of the substance of Thy love, and their inmost beings from the spirit of Thy Cause. Theirs is a reunion not succeeded by separation, a nearness that knoweth no remoteness, and a perpetuity that hath no end. Verily, these are servants who ever recount Thee, who eternally circle round Thee, and who circumambulate the sanctuary of Thy presence and the Kaaba of reunion with Thee. Thou hast ordained, O my God, no distinction between them and Thee, except that when they beheld the lights of Thy countenance, they set their faces towards Thee, and prostrated themselves before Thy beauty, submissive to Thy greatness and severed from all things besides Thee.

Children - “children of the Kingdom”

He is God.

O ye children of the Kingdom! Give thanks unto God that, at this tender age, ye have entered into the Divine Kingdom. The bounty and bestowal of God have surrounded you. While ye were yet children, He chose you and elected you. Ye became the intimates of His mysteries, whilst those of riper age remained deprived. This is naught but a divine bestowal. Therefore give ye thanks unto God, saying:

O Compassionate God! O Lord of Hosts! Praise be unto Thee that Thou hast preferred these little children over the full-grown and mature, and bestowed upon them Thy special favours. Thou hast guided them. Thou hast been kind to them. Thou hast conferred upon them illumination and spirituality. Grant us Thy confirmation so that, when we grow up, we may engage in service to Thy Kingdom, become the cause of educating others, burn like radiant candles and shine like brilliant stars. Thou art the Giver, the Bestower, the Compassionate.

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

Individual – Service; Attraction to God’s Manifestation; Spiritual growth

Make me ready, in all circumstances, O my Lord, to serve Thee and to set myself towards the adored sanctuary of Thy Revelation and of Thy Beauty. If it be Thy pleasure, make me to grow as a tender herb in the meadows of Thy grace, that the gentle winds of Thy will may stir me up and bend me into conformity with Thy pleasure, in such wise that my movement and my stillness may be wholly directed by Thee. 

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

Individual – To surrender one’s will to what God “hast decreed in Thy Tablets”

I implore Thee, O my Lord, by Thy name the splendors of which have encompassed the earth and the heavens, to enable me so to surrender my will to what Thou hast decreed in Thy Tablets, that I may cease to discover within me any desire except what Thou didst desire through the power of Thy sovereignty, and any will save what Thou didst destine for me by Thy will. 

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

Individual and group – Forgiveness: “forgive me my trespasses and the trespasses of them that are dear to Thee”

Cast... upon me, O my God, the glances of Thy mercy, and forgive me my trespasses and the trespasses of them that are dear to Thee, and which come in between us and the revelation of Thy triumph and Thy grace. Cancel Thou, moreover, our sins which have shut off our faces from the splendours of the Day-Star of Thy favours. Powerful art Thou to do Thy pleasure. Thou ordainest what Thou willest, and art not asked of what Thou wishest through the power of Thy sovereignty, nor canst Thou be frustrated in whatsoever Thou prescribest through Thine irrevocable decree. No God is there save Thee, the Almighty, the Most Powerful, the Ever-Living, the Most Compassionate. 

- Baha’u’llah  (‘Days of Remembrance’)

A prayer for American believers

О Thou Creator! Bring the American friends nigh unto the Kingdom of Abha and suffer their deeds and actions to be in conformity with the Commandments and Exhortations written in the Tablets. Make them firm in Thy Love and steadfast in Thy Cause. Attract them unto the Baha’i Beauty and cause them to attain infinite warmth and fervor. Bestow upon them a firm footing and give them a heavenly power in order that they may engage in Thy service and spread the Signs of the Kingdom.

Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty! Thou art the Compassionate, the Gracious, the Seer! 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  (Star of the West, vol. II, no. 3, April 28, 1911)

Individual – Spiritual growth and transformation

O God, my God! Thou art my Hope and my Beloved, my highest Aim and Desire! With great humbleness and entire devotion I pray to Thee to make me a minaret of Thy love in Thy land, a lamp of Thy knowledge among Thy creatures, and a banner of divine bounty in Thy dominion.

Number me with such of Thy servants as have detached themselves from everything but Thee, have sanctified themselves from the transitory things of this world, and have freed themselves from the promptings of the voicers of idle fancies.

Let my heart be dilated with joy through the spirit of confirmation from Thy kingdom, and brighten my eyes by beholding the hosts of divine assistance descending successively upon me from the kingdom of Thine omnipotent glory.

Thou art, in truth, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Powerful.

- 'Abdu'l-Bahá  (compilation: Baha’i Prayers’, 1991 edition; revised translation of an earlier translation included in Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, vol. 2)

Individual – Detachment; Nearness to God; Blessings

O my eternal Beloved and my adored Friend! How long shall I remain bereft of Thy presence and sorely afflicted by remoteness from Thee? To the retreats of Thy heavenly Kingdom lead me, and at the scene of the appearance of Thy supernal Realm cast upon me the glance of Thy loving-kindness.

O Thou Omnipotent Lord! Number me among the denizens of the Kingdom. This mortal world is my abode; grant me a habitation in the realms of the Placeless. To this earthly plane I pertain; shed upon me the effulgence of Thy glorious light. In this world of dust I dwell; make me an inmate of Thy heavenly realm, so that I may lay down my life in Thy path and attain to my heart’s desire, may crown my head with the diadem of divine favour and raise the triumphal cry of “O Glory of God, the Most Glorious!” 

- ‘Abdu’l-Baha  ('Twenty-Six Prayers Revealed by ‘Abdu’l-Baha', Online Baha’i Library of the Baha’i World center, March 2021)