importance of prayer
Editorial introduction
Prayer is like a song, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says, made of words and melody together, and sometimes it is the melody that moves us. Words without love mean nothing. Yet the practice He describes is anything but vague. It has a daily rhythm, with obligatory prayer at its heart and remembrance at dawn, midnight and evening; it polishes the dust from the mirror of the heart; and it lifts the spirit on two wings out of the lowest depths. Nor does it replace effort. Prayer is the spirit and means are the hand, and to abandon the means is to seek to quench thirst without water, so work and worship go hand in hand. Jesus’ warning against praying for display and trusting in many words sharpens the point that attention, not volume, is what God receives [1]. The way leads onward into the law of obligatory prayer, the power and the inner state of prayer, and the trust in God that lets a person turn to Him at all times.
Prayer is both attitude and word; it depends upon the soul-condition. It is like a song; both words and music make the song. Sometimes the melody will move us, sometimes the words.
"Prayer need not be in words, but in thought and attitude. But if this love and this desire are lacking it is useless to try to force them. Words without love mean nothing. If a person talks to you as an unpleasant duty with no love or pleasure in his meeting with you, do you wish to converse with him? Efforts should first be made to make attachment to God."
Concerning means and prayer about which thou didst inquire: Prayer is like unto the spirit, and means are like unto the hand. The spirit's control is exercised through the hand. … But to abandon means is like unto one who is thirsty seeking to quench his thirst without water or other liquids. The Bestower and Creator of water is the Almighty Lord, and He hath made it the means of quenching thirst.
Religion without prayer is no religion; but in this Movement work and worship must go hand in hand; one must help the other.
Yes, in the wondrous verses it is revealed that work and occupation have the status of worship, but this is not evidence that one should abandon the prescribed devotions and remembrances, for the prescribed devotions are from the Book of God and are the cause of the hearts' remembrance, the spirituality of souls, the stirring of spirits, the expansion of breasts, and the manifestation of the love of God, trust, and devotion at the Divine Threshold.
O thou daughter of the Kingdom! Know thou that supplication and prayer is the Water of Life. It is the cause of the vivification of existence, and endows glad-tidings and joy to the souls. Show thou attention to this matter as far as thou canst, and summon others to prayer and supplication.
Man becomes like a stone unless he continually supplicates to GOD. The heart of man is like a mirror that is covered with dust, and to cleanse it one must continually pray to GOD that it may become clean, and the act of supplication is the polish which erases all worldly desires. The delight of supplicating and entreating before GOD cuts one's heart from the world. When the taste of man is nourished by honey, he never likes to taste any other sweetmeat. Therefore, prayer is a key by which the doors of the kingdom are opened.
The human heart finds no tranquility except through worship of the All-Merciful, and the human spirit finds no joy except through remembrance of God. The power of worship is like wings that cause the human spirit to ascend from the lowest depths to the Abha Kingdom and bestow true purity and refinement upon human beings. The goal cannot be attained except through this means.
Prayer and supplication are two wings whereby man soars toward the heavenly mansion of the True One.
Mayst thou ever be in a prayerful attitude. In all the worlds [of existence] there is nothing more important than prayer. Prayer confers spirituality upon the heart.
There is no state like the state of prayer. It attracts the pure hearts, awakens the holy souls, and confers remarkable spirituality.
'Abdu'l-Baha's Face became very serious, His Voice loud as He answered in these words:
"The first thing to do is to acquire a thirst for Spirituality, then Live the Life! Live the Life! Live the Life! The way to acquire this thirst is to meditate upon the future life. Study the Holy Words, read your Bible, read the Holy Books, especially study the Holy Utterances of Baha'u'llah; Prayer and Meditation, take much time for these two. Then will you know this Great Thirst, and then only can you begin to Live the Life!
O physician, beseech the True One, exalted be His glory, that He may cause means to appear whereby the ruins of the world may be rebuilt, oppression be changed to justice, falsehood to truth, and poverty to wealth.
O maid-servant of God! It is incumbent upon thee to supplicate to thy Lord, to seek His nearness with thy heart, to be submissive and humble before His maid-servants and to serve His great vineyard.
Forsake the mortal grades (i. e., things of the world) and be engaged in praising thy Lord; so that His Holy Spirit may assist thee; may make thee a sign of faith and illumine thy heart with the light of assurance, and that thou mayest become a sign of peace, a servant of reconciliation, love and security.
Know that nothing will benefit thee in this life save supplication and invocation unto God, service in His vineyard, and, with a heart full of love, be in constant servitude unto Him.
Therefore one must offer praise and prayer, and turn towards the Lord of creation, seeking the comfort of the eternal world and adorning this world.
Let them strive with wisdom to guide receptive souls, endeavor to educate children according to divine commandments, and arise to perform prayer, supplication, fasting and devotions as required by God's decisive command.
Hold fast to the cord of thy Lord's loving-kindness and say: O Thou through Whom the horizon of the world was illumined and the hearts of the nations were shaken! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Exalted Word and by Thy Most Luminous and Most Glorious Countenance to aid me in Thy remembrance and praise and in serving Thy Cause, and to ordain for me what Thou hast ordained for the best among Thy creatures.
The Master - Whenever you feel depressed, go alone into the secret chamber, read one of the Hidden Words and with the utmost supplication beg of Baha'u'llah to impart to you that happiness which is essential for the future. Pray with great humbleness:
O God, free me from these fetters.
Read my prayers always and thus see a wonderful effect, causing all superstitious powers and influences to vanish away.
Say: Through His remembrance is every sick one healed of his illness and the hearts of those who have turned to Him are purified.
For the remembrance of God removeth all darkness from the hearts of His servants and rendereth them sanctified from all else besides Him.
Supplication causes one to draw nigh unto the precincts of His divinity and to beseech the help of God illumines one's spirit.
Turn to the Holy Shrine and whatever you seek will be answered. This turning has no nearness or remoteness - one can turn from any spot or any clime, for the Sanctuary of the Supreme Concourse encompasses all created things and is raised up in the Most Exalted Station.
In prayer one must turn his face towards the Sanctified Reality of His holiness Baha’u’llah—that Reality which surrounds all the phenomena. During the time of prayer His Holiness Baha’u’llah must be singly and alone the center towards whom all the faces are turned.
Make mention of thy Lord, then be thou steadfast in devotion, and bow down in worship.
O thou servant of God! The infinite bounties of God bear witness to the supplication and imploring of 'Abdu'l-Baha each morning. Thus would every soul who is alert and engaged in prayer and communion obtain a portion of this spiritual outpouring each dawn.
The soul must needs be suppliant to God and perform the obligatory prayers, so that all may be revived with the blessed fragrances wafting from the gardens of loving providence, so that all may obtain a new spirit of life and the reality of man may become the mirror of the effulgences of the All Merciful.
This is a Book from Us to those who, in their love for Me, sleep but little and rise from their beds at dawn out of longing for My remembrance.
Supplicate to God, pray to Him and invoke Him at midnight and at dawn.
Neglect not praying and communing in the gloomy midnights and morn and eve, and offer glory unto thy Lord, the Supreme.
Purify thyself from all remembrance, then remember thy Lord at eventide and at dawn, and in the morning and in the evening.
Remember thy Lord at eventide and at dawn. He hath ordained for thee that which none knoweth save His own Self, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
Bear ye witness even as God hath witnessed, then remember Him at eventide and at dawn.
… Remember God at all times and glorify Him with His praise.
Turn to the Lord of the Kingdom and in the early hours of dawn engage in the mention of Ya Baha'u'l-Abha.
It is incumbent upon thee to turn unto the Kingdom of God and to pray, supplicate and invoke during all times.
O handmaid of God! Praise the Beloved of the world that you have attained to His recognition and are gazing at His horizon. Know the value of this station and be occupied with His remembrance at all times, detached from all else.
Now, in gratitude for this bounty and favor, thou must occupy thyself with love and faithfulness, be engaged day and night in the remembrance of God, and be occupied in humble entreaty and supplication. Thou must recite the verses of divine unity and be raised up with the essence of sanctification.
Rejoice in that thy name hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen. This is indeed a great bounty. Glorify thy Lord with praise at all times and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Beloved of the worlds and Goal of all who are in the heavens and on earth.
Rejoice thou in My remembrance of thee. Nothing in the kingdom can equal it, as doth testify He with Whom is the knowledge of all things in a clear Book.
Verily she who has believed in her Lord is better than men in the Tablet of God, the Lord of the worlds. Give thanks to your Lord, then remember Him at all times.
O handmaiden of the Lord! Behold the bounty of the Lord, that He guided thee to the straight path, made thee distinguished among handmaidens, led thee to the pathway of the Friend, made thee a guardian in the house of the Blessed Beauty, gave thee shelter in the precincts of the sacred dust, and caused thy countenance to become radiant, so that at every moment thou might engage in praise, supplication and worship of the one true God.
Be thankful, be full of praise, pray fervently and tearfully.
Take a firm step and chant prayers with the melody of the Abha Kingdom. Open your tongues in thanksgiving.
Recite this Tablet with sweet and manifest melody that thy song may ascend to the Divine Lote Tree and thy fragrance draw thee to a faithful and holy dawning-place.
Then preserve this Tablet and recite it in thy days with such devotion as to cause the hearts of the sincere ones to be attracted.
By God! Whosoever findeth solace in My remembrance [heareth] My call from every deep valley.
Be diligent in the prayers thou hast in hand - the gates of bestowal shall be opened, supreme spirituality shall be attained, the observation of the greatest signs shall be made possible, and spiritual ascension shall be realized.
As much as you can, show humility and supplication at the threshold of the Most Glorious Beauty, and be intimate with the mention of the Most Great Name (may my spirit be sacrificed for Him).
At every moment they bow their faces to the dust and seek assistance and favor from the Ancient Beauty (may my spirit be a sacrifice for His loved ones).
O servant of Truth, open thy tongue in prayer and with the utmost supplication and entreaty, show forth humility and need at the threshold of the All-Glorious Lord, saying: "O peerless God! Make Thou a way that I may become intimate and familiar with humility and need, and with a plaintive voice raise my supplications to the highest heaven.
Day and night I will stretch forth the hand of supplication and pray - you too supplicate and implore, so that through the power of utter helplessness and lamentation we may take our place in servitude and remain firm and steadfast in the Covenant.
Day and night they must turn in humility and supplication to the Divine Threshold, offer good prayers, and seek good recompense and reward. Surely this prayer will prove effective at the Divine Threshold.
Our pathway is supplication and invocation, severance form all else save Him and communion with the Source of all benediction. If we are assisted in this we have attained if not, we are deprived.
I ask God to aid thee by the divine confirmation and engage, night and day, with the commemoration of God.
I joined with you in communion and offered prayers at the threshold of oneness, that He may make mention of you in His Kingdom and shower you with endless favors.
I read your letter and I will beseech and implore at the threshold of the One, that the forgiveness of the Forgiving Lord may encompass you and the favors of the Desired One may surround you.
I think of you always, how with utmost devotion you would supplicate at the threshold of the Most Great Oneness and beseech assistance and protection from the court of the All-Merciful.
Spend thy time in humble supplication, intimate prayer and devotion to the Fulfiller of needs until God brings deliverance from those quarters.
Night and day we were engaged in prayer and supplication and service at the Threshold of the Lord of Verses. We were serving with some measure of freedom and praying for all, detached from any mention save the mention of God, and had attained some spiritual joy.
Certainly, absolutely be free from such a detestable group and occupy yourself with trade and business, and continually supplicate and implore at the divine threshold, and pray for our good.
O thou servant of Baha! The letter which thou hadst written to Aqa Siyyid Taqi was considered. From its contents and verses, signs of supplication and imploration were evident. This spiritual melody attracts the outpourings of the All-Merciful and brings about divine confirmations. Day and night, think about teaching and travel to different regions. Among the tribes and nomads spread the holy fragrances of the Glorious Lord so that thou mayest witness universal confirmations. Upon thee be greetings and praise.
O thou enkindled leaf!
With a burning heart pray to the Kingdom of Glory by day and by night, commune with Him, and beseech that He may so enkindle thee from His lighted fire that thou mayest become like unto a raging flame and bestir the hearts of the handmaidens of God and enable them to gain detachment.
They raised the hands of supplication toward the heaven of Mercy, communed with their Maker and longed for the appearance of these Days.
I beseech Thee, before the breaking of dawn in that month which Thou hast ascribed unto Thyself, clothed with the vesture of Thy might, and adorned with the raiment of Thy grace -- wherein Thou didst send down the tokens of Thy Revelation and ordain in one of its nights the measures of Thine invention -- that Thou wouldst cause to descend upon the hearts that have ascended unto Thee the mysteries befitting the loftiness of Thy praise; upon the spirits that have winged their flight to Thy presence the adorations consonant with the sublimity of Thy glory; upon the souls that have melted in the path of Thy love the recognitions meet for the majesty of Thy unity; and upon the bodies that have turned wholly unto Thee, inwardly and outwardly, the exultations worthy of the greatness of Thy magnification.
Further quotations · supplied wording and references
When a person becomes a Baha'i, actually what takes place is that the seed of the spirit starts to grow in the human soul. This seed must be watered with the outpourings of the Holy Spirit. These gifts of the spirit are received through prayer, meditation, study of the Holy Utterances and service to the Cause of God.... service in the Cause is like the plough which ploughs the physical soil when seeds are sown.
Through the power of concentration, prayer and meditation, and the effects produced, one can, however, feel the direct spiritual guidance of God. Purity of heart is an indispensable condition.
As regards fasting, it constitutes, together with the obligatory prayers, the two pillars that sustain the revealed Law of God. They act as stimulants to the soul, strengthen, revive and purify it, and thus insure its steady development.
Baha'u'llah has stated quite clearly in His Writings the essential requisites for our spiritual growth, and these are stressed again and again by 'Abdu'l-Baha in His talks and Tablets. One can summarize them briefly in this way: 1) The recital each day of one of the Obligatory Prayers with pure-hearted devotion. 2) The regular reading of the Sacred Scriptures, specifically at least each morning and evening, with reverence, attention and thought. 3) Prayerful meditation on the teachings, so that we may understand them more deeply, fulfil them more faithfully, and convey them more accurately to others. 4) Striving every day to bring our behaviour more into accordance with the high standards that are set forth in the teachings. 5) Teaching the Cause of God. 6) Selfless service in the work of the Cause and in the carrying on of our trade or profession. These points ... represent the path towards the attainment of true spirituality that has been laid down by the Manifestation of God for this age.
...prayer and meditation although closely related are two entirely different spiritual activities, neither of which is adequate without the other and both of which are inadequate without study. Prayer, meditation and study are fruitless unless they result in action.
Prayer and meditation are very important factors in deepening the spiritual life of the individual, but with them must go also action and example, as these are the tangible results of the former. Both are essential.
The other evening in discussing teaching work, the Guardian outlined four important steps, which I am taking the liberty of passing on to you. The steps which are required are Prayer, Meditation, Study of the Holy Utterances and then Action; and of great importance is that in action, the teacher should persevere under all circumstances.
Success will crown the efforts of the Friends on the home front, when they meditate on the teachings, pray fervently for divine confirmations for their work, study the teachings so they may carry their spirit to the seeker, and then act, and above all persevere in action. When these steps are followed, and the teaching work carried on sacrificially and with devoted enthusiasm, the Faith will spread rapidly.
For thought and discussion