The circle of the righteous has been scattered, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá laments, and the meeting place of the friends destroyed; will God restore them once more? Prayer for a gathering begins in that need rather than in triumph. Those who come bring their shortcomings and ask for forgiveness, composure and the burning away of veils before they ask for anything grander. Then the petitions enlarge the room: let this assembly be a rose garden, a candle shedding light in six directions, a dawning-place of loving-kindness; let these souls be pearls strung on one thread. Psalm 133 gives the same unity the texture of oil running down a beard and dew settling on a mountain [1]. What is sought is never only harmony inside the room. The gathering is to blaze outward, spreading divine fragrances and serving the oneness of humanity, and its sincerity shows in the relationships it helps form. That is the spirit in which spiritual meetings, devotional gatherings and the Feast are held, and these prayers are a doorway into the wider life of prayer itself.
With every breath I have lifted up my lamentations to the Kingdom of everlasting might, at every step on the path of supplication I have implored God saying: "O Thou kind Lord! The circle of the righteous hath been scattered and the gathering place of the friends hath been destroyed. Wouldst Thou reveal Thy bounties unto them once more? Wouldst Thou shower these friends again with new confirmations that they might come together and become illuminated by the lamp of thy remembrance in their gatherings? O God, the Most Kind! Lift Thy decree that hath disbanded and dispersed these friends! O Compassionate Lord gather this desolate and scattered band.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1905 ca., to Vazir, Mirza Asadullah et al -- AB01619)
02
O Lord! These souls have come to this gathering purely out of love and are present with perfect love and harmony.
O loving Lord! This assemblage turns to Thee, communes with Thee in supplication, beseeches Thy Kingdom in utter humility, and seeks forgiveness and pardon.
O God! Make this gathering respected, make these souls holy, shine forth the lights of guidance, illumine the hearts, make the souls glad tidings, admit them all into Thy Kingdom, and make them successful in both worlds.
O thou Kind God! We have gathered together with the utmost humility and submission in this spiritual assembly, we have turned our faces toward Thy Kingdom and are begging for Thy confirmation and assistance; so that we may become united and harmonized; associate with each other with the sweetness of honey and milk; and become the cause of the appearance of the oneness of the Kingdom of humanity and with pure heart, brilliant souls, pray to thee and beg of thee the fulfillment of our aspirations. Almighty, do thou not look upon our sins, treat us according to Thy Grace and Favor. Forgive our shortcomings, bestow upon us Thy Bounty, Enkindle the Fire of Thy Love. Burn away the veil of superstition, passion and desire. Protect and guard us against the failings of the self; and shelter us under the shade of Thy Tree of Mercifulness and grant us spiritual composure and rest. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty!...
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1910-Oct-30, to Emma Carmichael -- AB07511)
The available source contains an omission or incomplete wording; sentence boundaries need review.
05
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.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1901-Sep-15, to Spiritual Assembly of Chicago, IL -- AB01023)
The available source contains an omission or incomplete wording; sentence boundaries need review.
06
O my God! O God! We are servants who have sincerely turned our faces unto Thy Grand Face; severed ourselves from all else save thee in this Great Day and are assembled together in this glorious meeting of one accord and desire, and unanimous in thought to promulgate Thy Word amid Thy creatures.
My God, my God! These are servants who have turned toward the right hand of Thy favor, who have gathered together and been attracted by Thy call, and who have acknowledged Thy oneness.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1913-Apr-18, to prayer recorded at the request of Mr Moore -- AB05017)
08
O Pure God! Make this gathering a light to the world, and make this assembly a rose garden and flower bed. Make its meeting place a garden of paradise and its dawning place the dawning-place of the lights of the All-Merciful.
O Lord! Make this assemblage radiant; aid these souls; make these faces luminous; make these dispositions a rose garden and flower bed; quicken these spirits through the holy breathings; make these souls noble through Thy most great guidance; bestow heavenly bounty; make worthy of divine gifts; keep them safe and protected in the cave of Thy protection and shelter; make them the recipients of endless favors and special confirmations.
O Lord! Make this gathering even as an ignited candle that sheddeth its light to the six directions and illumine and chase away this obscure darkness with the light of Thy revelation. O Lord! Make this assembly a centre of perfections. O Merciful! Make this gathering a dawning-place of Thy loving-kindness.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1900 or <, to Baha'is of Khurasan -- AB02379)
11
O Thou compassionate Lord! This Assembly has been organized for the exaltation of God - the Holy Spirit. Assist, confirm it and reinforce it by Thy Heavenly Power so that it may blaze like unto a brilliant flame and may diffuse Merciful Light. That it may illumine the surrounding regions, may promulgate Heavenly Teachings and serve the Oneness of the world of mankind.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1919-Dec-17, to Spiritual Assembly of New York, NY -- AB08622)
12
O Lord! O Lord! Bless this Spiritual Gathering, strengthen them by Thy power for the spreading of Thy divine fragrances, cause them to follow Thy will which is effective in the realities of all things, and aid them by a confirmation such as never hath preceded to any one in former centuries.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1909 or <, to Spiritual Assembly of Chicago, IL et al -- AB04626)
13
O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Self-Subsisting sovereignty over the kingdoms of the heavens and earth to confirm this divine gathering with Thy invisible confirmations and heavenly success and inspiration from Thy Most Glorious Kingdom in all matters.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1895-Aug or <, to Abdu'l-Husayn son in law of Vazir (Isfahan) -- AB01729)
14
O Lord! Adorn their gathering with the lights of Thy unity, illuminate their assembly with the lamp of Thy sanctity, purify their court with the cloud of Thy transcendence, strengthen their foundations with Thy power that vanquisheth all things, make firm their structure with Thy might that is manifested throughout all things, gird up their loins and strengthen their backs, make their affairs easy, and make them emblems of Thy remembrance, wellsprings of Thy praise, torches of Thy love, dawning-places of Thy grace, recipients of Thy inspiration, daysprings of Thy knowledge, and manifestations of Thy signs.
O God! Through the effusions of the cloud of bounty, transform this assemblage into a rose garden and meadow, that they may be delivered from waiting, witness the lights of the Sun of Truth, receive tidings from the invisible realm, and discover the mysteries of the concealed world. Thou art the Guide.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1913-Apr-21, to prayer for Frau Prof. Thern -- AB11155)
16
O my God, my God! These are servants whom the wine of bounty has intoxicated, whom the breezes of faithfulness have stirred, whom the lights of Beauty have attracted, and whom the fire kindled in the Sinai of Glory has guided to Thy straight path, Thy firm highway, Thy even road and the kingdom of Thy mighty glory. O Lord! Make them lamps of guidance, hosts of Thy Supreme Concourse, signs of Thy great bounty and standards of Thy most glorious Kingdom.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, to Spiritual Assembly of Qazvin -- AB01741)
17
My Lord, my Lord! You see the faces of Your loved ones radiant with Your favors, resplendent with the lights of Your love, illumined by the rays of Your knowledge, and turned toward Your Kingdom. … They chant with wondrous melody in this exalted garden, glorifying Your praise, circling round Your throne, prostrating before Your sovereignty, and submitting to Your proof.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1907-Dec-22, to Baha'is of Balakhan -- AB12156)
18
O Ali the Most Glorious! I place my forehead upon the Pure Threshold and beseech victory and confirmation for the Assembly of Sanctification, and I say: O my Ancient Lord! Aid the Assembly of Sanctification with Your assistance and protection in both worlds and with the Most Great Gift. O Lord! Your servant is a mine of faithfulness from among the pure brethren. Make this luminous institution and noble gathering blessed through Your glorious bounty, spread through it Your fragrances, make manifest through it Your verses, wave through it Your banners, and be for it a help and protection through Your grace.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1920-Jan-03, to Members of Mahfil-i-Taqdis et al -- AB03867)
19
O God! O God! From the unseen kingdom of Thy oneness behold us assembled in this spiritual meeting, believing in Thee, confident in Thy signs, firm in Thy Covenant and Testament, attracted to Thee, set aglow with the fire of Thy love and sincere in Thy Cause. We are servants in Thy vineyard, spreaders of Thy religion, devoted worshipers of Thy countenance, humble towards Thy loved ones, submissive before Thy door, and imploring Thee to confirm us in serving Thy chosen ones, to support us with Thine unseen hosts, to strengthen our loins in Thy servitude and to make us submissive and adoring subjects communing with Thee.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1909 or <, to Spiritual Assembly of Chicago, IL -- AB04620)