REVEALED TO THE BAHA'IS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA: "O Thou
incomparable God! O Thou Lord of..."
O Thou incomparable God! O Thou Lord of the Kingdom! These souls are Thy
heavenly army. Assist them and, with the cohorts of the Supreme Concourse,
make them victorious, so that each one of them may become like unto a
regiment and conquer these countries through the love of God and the
illumination of divine teachings.
O God! Be Thou their supporter and their helper, and in the wilderness,
the mountain, the valley, the forests, the prairies and the seas, be Thou
their confidant--so that they may cry out through the power of the Kingdom
and the breath of the Holy Spirit.
Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty and the Omnipotent, and Thou art
the Wise, the Hearing and the Seeing.
--'Abdu'l-Baha
REVEALED TO THE BAHA'IS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA: "O God, my God!
Thou seest me enraptured..."
Whoever sets out on a teaching journey to any place, let him recite this
prayer day and night during his travels in foreign lands.
O God, my God! Thou seest me enraptured and attracted toward Thy glorious
kingdom, enkindled with the fire of Thy love amongst mankind, a herald of
Thy kingdom in these vast and spacious lands, severed from aught else save
Thee, relying on Thee, abandoning rest and comfort, remote from my native
home, a wanderer in these regions, a stranger fallen upon the ground,
humble before Thine exalted Threshold, submissive toward the heaven of
Thine omnipotent glory, supplicating Thee in the dead of night and at the
break of dawn, entreating and invoking Thee at morn and at eventide to
graciously aid me to serve Thy Cause, to spread abroad Thy Teachings and
to exalt Thy Word throughout the East and the West.
O Lord! Strengthen my back, enable me to serve Thee with the utmost
endeavor, and leave me not to myself, lonely and helpless in these
regions.
O Lord! Grant me communion with Thee in my loneliness, and be my companion
in these foreign lands.
Verily, Thou art the Confirmer of whomsoever Thou willest in that which
Thou desirest, and, verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the Omnipotent.
--'Abdu'l-Baha
REVEALED TO THE BAHA'IS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA: "O God! O God!
Thou seest my weakness,..."
Let whosoever travels to different parts to teach, peruse over mountain,
desert, land and sea this supplication.
O God! O God! Thou seest my weakness, lowliness and humility before Thy
creatures; nevertheless, I have trusted in Thee and have arisen in the
promotion of Thy teachings among Thy strong servants, relying on Thy power
and might.
O Lord! I am a broken-winged bird and desire to soar in Thy limitless
space. How is it possible for me to do this save through Thy providence
and grace, Thy confirmation and assistance.
O Lord! Have pity on my weakness, and strengthen me with Thy power. O
Lord! Have pity on my impotence, and assist me with Thy might and majesty.
O Lord! Should the breath of the Holy Spirit confirm the weakest of
creatures, he would attain all to which he aspireth and would possess
anything he desireth. Indeed, Thou hast assisted Thy servants in the past
and, though they were the weakest of Thy creatures, the lowliest of Thy
servants and the most insignificant of those who lived upon the earth,
through Thy sanction and potency they took precedence over the most
glorious of Thy people and the most noble of mankind. Whereas formerly
they were as moths, they became as royal falcons, and whereas before they
were as brooks, they became as seas, through Thy bestowal and Thy mercy.
They became, through Thy most great favor, stars shining on the horizon of
guidance, birds singing in the rose gardens of immortality, lions roaring
in the forests of knowledge and wisdom, and whales swimming in the oceans
of life.
Verily, Thou art the Clement, the Powerful, the Mighty, and the Most
Merciful of the merciful.
--'Abdu'l-Baha
REVEALED TO THE BAHA'IS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA: "O God, my God!
Thou seest how black darkness..."
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.
O Lord! Wars have persisted. Distress and anxiety have waxed great, and
every flourishing region is laid waste.
O Lord! Hearts are heavy, and souls are in anguish. Have mercy on these
poor souls, and do not leave them to the excesses of their own desires.
O Lord! Make manifest in Thy lands humble and submissive souls, their
faces illumined with the rays of guidance, severed from the world,
extolling Thy Name, uttering Thy praise, and diffusing the fragrance of
Thy holiness amongst mankind.
O Lord! Strengthen their backs, gird up their loins, and enrapture their
hearts with the most mighty signs of Thy love.
O Lord! Verily, they are weak, and Thou art the Powerful and the Mighty;
they are impotent, and Thou art the Helper and the Merciful.
O Lord! The ocean of rebellion is surging, and these tempests will not be
stilled save through Thy boundless grace which hath embraced all regions.
O Lord! Verily, the people are in the abyss of passion, and naught can
save them but Thine infinite bounties.
O Lord! Dispel the darkness of these corrupt desires, and illumine the
hearts with the lamp of Thy love through which all countries will erelong
be enlightened. Confirm, moreover, Thy loved ones, those who, leaving
their homelands, their families and their children, have, for the love of
Thy Beauty, traveled to foreign countries to diffuse Thy fragrances and
promulgate Thy Teachings. Be Thou their companion in their loneliness,
their helper in a strange land, the remover of their sorrows, their
comforter in calamity. Be Thou a refreshing draught for their thirst, a
healing medicine for their ills and a balm for the burning ardor of their
hearts.
Verily, Thou art the Most Generous, the Lord of grace abounding, and,
verily, Thou art the Compassionate and the Merciful.
--'Abdu'l-Baha
REVEALED TO THE BAHA'IS OF THE NORTHEASTERN STATES: "O Thou kind Lord!
Praise be unto Thee that..."
The following supplication is to be read by the teachers and friends
daily:
O Thou kind Lord! Praise be unto Thee that Thou hast shown us the highway
of guidance, opened the doors of the kingdom and manifested Thyself
through the Sun of Reality. To the blind Thou hast given sight; to the
deaf Thou hast granted hearing; Thou hast resuscitated the dead; Thou hast
enriched the poor; Thou hast shown the way to those who have gone astray;
Thou hast led those with parched lips to the fountain of guidance; Thou
hast suffered the thirsty fish to reach the ocean of reality; and Thou
hast invited the wandering birds to the rose garden of grace.
O Thou Almighty! We are Thy servants and Thy poor ones; we are remote and
yearn for Thy presence, are athirst for the water of Thy fountain, are
ill, longing for Thy healing. We are walking in Thy path and have no aim
or hope save the diffusion of Thy fragrance, so that all souls may raise
the cry of "O God, guide us to the straight path." May their eyes be
opened to behold the light, and may they be freed from the darkness of
ignorance. May they gather around the lamp of Thy guidance. May every
portionless one receive a share. May the deprived become the confidants of
Thy mysteries.
O Almighty! Look upon us with the glance of mercifulness. Grant us
heavenly confirmation. Bestow upon us the breath of the Holy Spirit, so
that we may be assisted in Thy service and, like unto brilliant stars,
shine in these regions with the light of Thy guidance.
Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Wise and the Seeing.
--'Abdu'l-Baha
REVEALED TO THE BAHA'IS OF THE SOUTHERN STATES: "O my God! O my God! Thou
seest me in..."
Every soul who travels through the cities, villages and hamlets of these
States and is engaged in the diffusion of the fragrances of God, should
peruse this commune every morning:
O my God! O my God! Thou seest me in my lowliness and weakness, occupied
with the greatest undertaking, determined to raise Thy word among the
masses and to spread Thy teachings among Thy peoples. How can I succeed
unless Thou assist me with the breath of the Holy Spirit, help me to
triumph by the hosts of Thy glorious kingdom, and shower upon me Thy
confirmations, which alone can change a gnat into an eagle, a drop of
water into rivers and seas, and an atom into lights and suns? O my Lord!
Assist me with Thy triumphant and effective might, so that my tongue may
utter Thy praises and attributes among all people and my soul overflow
with the wine of Thy love and knowledge.
Thou art the Omnipotent and the Doer of whatsoever Thou willest.
--'Abdu'l-Baha
REVEALED TO THE BAHA'IS OF THE CENTRAL STATES: "O Lord, my God! Praise and
thanksgiving be..."
Let the spreaders of the fragrances of God recite this prayer every
morning:
O Lord, my God! Praise and thanksgiving be unto Thee for Thou hast guided
me to the highway of the kingdom, suffered me to walk in this straight and
far-stretching path, illumined my eye by beholding the splendors of Thy
light, inclined my ear to the melodies of the birds of holiness from the
kingdom of mysteries and attracted my heart with Thy love among the
righteous.
O Lord! Confirm me with the Holy Spirit, so that I may call in Thy Name
amongst the nations and give the glad tidings of the manifestation of Thy
kingdom amongst mankind.
O Lord! I am weak, strengthen me with Thy power and potency. My tongue
falters, suffer me to utter Thy commemoration and praise. I am lowly,
honor me through admitting me into Thy kingdom. I am remote, cause me to
approach the threshold of Thy mercifulness. O Lord! Make me a brilliant
lamp, a shining star and a blessed tree, adorned with fruit, its branches
overshadowing all these regions. Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful
and Unconstrained.
--'Abdu'l-Baha
REVEALED TO THE BAHA'IS OF THE WESTERN STATES: "O God! O God! This is a
broken-winged bird..."
The following commune is to be read ... every day:
O God! O God! This is a broken-winged bird and his flight is very
slow--assist him so that he may fly toward the apex of prosperity and
salvation, wing his way with the utmost joy and happiness throughout the
illimitable space, raise his melody in Thy Supreme Name in all the
regions, exhilarate the ears with this call, and brighten the eyes by
beholding the signs of guidance.
O Lord! I am single, alone and lowly. For me there is no support save
Thee, no helper except Thee and no sustainer beside Thee. Confirm me in
Thy service, assist me with the cohorts of Thy angels, make me victorious
in the promotion of Thy Word and suffer me to speak out Thy wisdom amongst
Thy creatures. Verily, Thou art the helper of the weak and the defender of
the little ones, and verily Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty and the
Unconstrained.
--'Abdu'l-Baha
REVEALED TO THE BAHA'IS OF CANADA: "Praise be to Thee, O my God! These are
Thy..."
Praise be to Thee, O my God! These are Thy servants who are attracted by
the fragrances of Thy mercifulness, are enkindled by the fire burning in
the tree of Thy singleness, and whose eyes are brightened by beholding the
splendors of the light shining in the Sinai of Thy oneness.
O Lord! Loose their tongues to make mention of Thee amongst Thy people,
suffer them to speak forth Thy praise through Thy grace and
loving-kindness, assist them with the cohorts of Thine angels, strengthen
their loins in Thy service, and make them the signs of Thy guidance
amongst Thy creatures.
Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Ever-Forgiving,
the All-Merciful.
--'Abdu'l-Baha
REVEALED TO THE BAHA'IS OF CANADA: "O God, my God! Thou beholdest this
weak..."
The spreaders of the fragrances of God should recite this prayer every
morning:
O God, my God! Thou beholdest this weak one begging for celestial
strength, this poor one craving Thy heavenly treasures, this thirsty one
longing for the fountain of eternal life, this afflicted one yearning for
Thy promised healing through Thy boundless mercy which Thou hast destined
for Thy chosen servants in Thy kingdom on high.
O Lord! I have no helper save Thee, no shelter besides Thee, and no
sustainer except Thee. Assist me with Thine angels to diffuse Thy holy
fragrances and to spread abroad Thy teachings amongst the choicest of Thy
people.
O my Lord! Suffer me to be detached from aught else save Thee, to hold
fast to the hem of Thy bounty, to be wholly devoted to Thy Faith, to
remain fast and firm in Thy love and to observe what Thou hast prescribed
in Thy Book.
Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Omnipotent.
--'Abdu'l-Baha