Assist me to gladden the hearts of Thy chosen ones, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá prays, and the prayers for service grow from that small, concrete wish into the largest of horizons: to serve the world of humanity, to guide all nations to the shores of the ocean of God’s oneness. Nothing is left out of the offering. Limbs, heart and tongue are to be strengthened; scattered affairs set in order so that teaching becomes possible; a household, a city, a whole region drawn in; words given where words fail; help asked under every condition, in prison, amid clamour, in tyranny and doubt. We are helpless and poor, the prayer admits, and Thou art the Lord of strength, and from that admission comes a strength that is shared rather than owned. Psalm 90 counts its brief days and still asks that the work of human hands be established [1], the same hope that finite lives may bear lasting fruit. Prayer of this kind turns inward dependence into outward care. From here the journey continues into service to others and to the Cause of God, and into the broader life of prayer.
O Lord! Assist me to serve Thy loved ones, to gladden the hearts of Thy chosen ones, to comfort the hearts of Thy pure ones, and to bring peace to the souls of Thy devoted ones, that I may arise with my spirit, my body and my heart to that which Thou lovest and art pleased with in servitude to Thy noble and distinguished servants. Verily, Thou art the Helper of whomsoever Thou willest to whatsoever Thou willest, and verily Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, to Ali nephew of Ali Haydar Shirvani -- AB10856)
02
Strengthen, O my God, my limbs and my heart and my tongue for Thy service and Thy love and Thy praise.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1306-07-04 [1889-Mar-6], to Asad Hi Kaf -- BH06567)
03
Enable us to serve the world of humanity. Make us the cause of fellowship between hearts.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1913-Jul-19, to Theosophical Society of Budapest -- AB06736)
04
I beseech Thee to assist me in serving Thy Cause, then to unite my scattered affairs that I may become capable of teaching Thy Cause.
O Lord, our God! We are helpless; Thou art the Lord of strength and power. We are wretched; Thou art the Almighty, the All-Glorious. We are poor; Thou art the All-Possessing, the Most Generous. Graciously assist us in our servitude to Thy sacred Threshold, and aid us, through Thy strengthening grace, to worship Thee at the dawning-places of Thy praise. Enable us to diffuse Thy holy fragrances amongst Thy creatures, and strengthen our loins to serve Thee amidst Thy servants, so that we may guide all nations to Thy Most Great Name and lead all peoples to the shores of the glorious ocean of Thy oneness.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1903 ca., to Aqa Siyyid Husayn et al -- AB07006)
06
Do thou, on my behalf, lay thy head on the sacred Threshold, and perfume brow and hair in the dust of that Door, and ask that I may be confirmed in my work; that I may, in return for His endless bounties, win, if He will, a drop out of the ocean of servitude.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, to the Greatest Holy Leaf Bahiyyih Khanum -- AB10256)
07
O my Lord! Thou knowest me and art aware that I entertain no desire but this, seek refuge in naught else but this. … If Thou shouldst confirm me in the service of Thy friends this verily would be the most meritorious of gifts and the cause of ever abiding mercy.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, to Alaqihband, Nuriyyih daughter of Aqa Mirza Muhammad Ali et al -- AB05651)
08
Make us successful in serving Thy friends and confirmed in servitude to Thy loved ones. This is the ultimate desire of heart and soul, this is the ultimate aspiration of conscience and being.
O my Lord and my Hope! Verily this servant of Thine hopeth for Thy favors, longeth to attain unto Thy good-pleasure, and imploreth assistance from the Kingdom of Thy glory. My Lord! Aid him in that which he desireth, enable him to serve Thy loved ones and to be the slave of Thy chosen ones, and clothe him with the robe of acceptance at Thy most exalted Threshold. Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Bestower.
I beseech Thee by the breezes of Thy revelation, the dawning-places of Thy verses, and the sources of Thy commandments and laws, to aid me to serve Thee and to serve Thy loved ones.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1307 ? [1889-1890], to Mulla Qanbar -- BH07802)
11
I beseech Thee by Thy hidden mysteries and Thy shining lights and by Thy Most Great Book which Thou hast sent down to the peoples, to assist me in serving Thee and serving Thy loved ones.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1307 ? [1889-1890], to Yusuf -- BH05256)
12
I beseech Thee, O Lord of the Kingdom of Names, to aid me to serve Thee and to serve Thy loved ones.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1306 ? [1888-1889], to Darvish Muhammad Ali -- BH09695)
13
I beseech Thee by Thy sealed Choice Wine and by Thy Name, the Manifest, the Hidden, to aid me in serving Thee and serving Thy loved ones, and to enable me to do that which befitteth Thy Revelation and Thy days.
O Thou incomparable Lord! Bless Thou the members of this household and endear these souls in Thy Kingdom and confirm them in the service of Thy Cause! Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1913-Apr-05, to written in the family book of Counsel Schwartz -- AB11418)
15
These souls have arisen to serve Thee well, and have begun their servitude. Confirm, aid and encourage each by the promise of Thy divine favors and make them of the elect.
I beg of God that He may make [that place] a center of merciful events and a point whereon the lordly favors may fall; and that He may make thee so ablaze with the fire of His love that the flame of the love of God may pervade all those parts.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1907-Apr or <, to Aseyeh Wellesca Dyar -- AB11310)
18
O my God and my Beloved! I draw near unto Thee through the sweet-scented breezes of Thy holiness which have perfumed all regions, and I beseech Thee by those sacred and attracted realities which have been stamped with the signs of Thy bounty from every direction, that Thou wouldst assist this servant of Thine to exalt Thy Word, to shed abroad Thy lights, to cause Thy seed to grow, to promulgate Thy Cause, to unite Thy loved ones, to gather together Thy chosen ones, to kindle the fire of Thy love in the hearts of Thy faithful ones, and to intoxicate Thy loved ones with the wine of the Covenant.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1901 ca., to Muhammad Husayn Lutf -- AB03904)
19
Bestow the power of utterance that they may engage in Thy praise and be protected under the shadow of Thy grace.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, to Baha'is of Mazindaran -- AB06666)
20
O Lord! Make them Thy manifest signs in Thy lands, Thy waving banners over the heads of Thy servants, Thine effective arrows in the breasts of Thine enemies, Thy drawn and gleaming swords in the battlefields of disputation with Thy foes. Loose their tongues in Thy remembrance and praise, cause them to speak with Thy proof and evidence, make them proofs of the Day of Thy Manifestation and missives of Thy Kingdom, and grant them a true mention among those who come after.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1900 or <, to Shaykh Kazim Qazvini (Samandar) -- AB00683)
21
O Lord! Thou seest me clinging unto Thee and detached from all else besides Thee. I beseech Thee to assist me to serve Thy Cause and to arise to aid it through the hosts of wisdom and utterance.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1306 ? [1888-1889], to Ali Rida Khan -- BH02685)
22
Lord! Make me a sign of Thy love and a standard of Thy mention and a banner waving in the highest horizon and fluttering in the Abha Kingdom.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1921-Jun-11, to Aqa Siyyid Abbas Khurasani -- AB04576)
23
Say: Glory be to Thee, O my God! I am he who has turned to Thee and placed his trust in Thee. I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which the ocean of Thy utterance surged and the breezes of Thy knowledge were stirred, to make me successful in serving Thy Cause and assisted in Thy remembrance and praise.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1291 ? [1874], to Haji Ali -- BH02898)
24
I beseech Thee, O Lord of the Kingdom of Immortality, by the sovereignty of the Names, to assist me to serve Thy Cause amongst Thy servants and to mention Thee and praise Thee throughout Thy lands.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1304 ? [1886-1887], to Nasrullah Baqiruf -- BH03248)
25
O my Lord! I am he who hath turned toward Thy most exalted horizon and who hath clung to the hem of Thy bounty. O Thou Who art the Lord of all names! I beseech Thee to assist me in serving Thee and aiding Thy Cause, and to ordain for me what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones whom Thou hast made the inheritors of dominion through Thy sovereignty and power.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1291-09 [1874-Oct], to Mirza Abdullah et al -- BH08948)
26
I beseech Thee by Thy Name, the All-Subduing Lord of the kingdom of names and attributes, and by the Dawning-Place of Thy signs and the Manifestation of Thy clear tokens, to aid me to serve Thy Cause.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1305 ? [1887-1888], to Ghulam-Husayn Khan -- BH10632)
27
I beseech Thee, O Lord of the worlds, by Thy Most Great Name through which Thou hast subdued the hearts of the nations, to aid me to arise to serve Thy Cause.
O Lord! Aid me to serve Thee amongst Thy servants and to praise Thee amidst Thy creation. Then ordain for me that which befitteth the heaven of Thy generosity and bounty, and the clouds of Thy grace and favors.
I beseech Thee, O Lord of eternity and Creator of nations, by Thy Most Great Name, to make me successful in remembering Thee and praising Thee and serving Thy Cause.
(Bahá’u’lláh, to Ghulam who has attained -- BH07856)
30
I beseech Thee by Thy greatness and sovereignty to assist me through the means of the heavens and earth that I may be occupied at all times in Thy service and speaking in Thy remembrance.
Say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of the world, for having illumined my sight to behold the lights of the Day-Star of Thy bounty and purified mine ear to hearken unto the rustling of Thy Pen. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy Throne and whatsoever was hidden in Thy knowledge, to aid me to arise to serve Thee at all times and in all conditions.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1305 ? [1887-1888], to Muhammad Afnan -- BH05940)
32
I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou didst knit together the hearts of Thy loved ones, didst make known unto them Thy path, and didst teach them that which would draw them nigh unto Thee in Thy days, that Thou mayest ordain that I, under all conditions, be attracted by Thy verses, be severed from all save Thee, and cling tenaciously to Thy strong cord. O Lord! Strengthen my frame for the service of Thy Cause, illumine mine eyes with the light of beholding Thee, and then throw open before the faces of Thy servants the gates of reunion with Thee.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1307 ? [1889-1890], to Ibrahim Aqa -- BH06528)
33
Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having made me to know Thee and guided me and caused me to hear. I beseech Thee by Thy Tablet and Thine ink, and by the love of Thy chosen ones, and by the enkindlement of the hearts of Thy sincere ones, and by the patience of the Dawning-Places of Thy dignity, to make me in all circumstances steadfast in Thy service and circling round Thy will.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1304 ? [1886-1887], to Muhammad (pilgrim) -- BH03301)
34
I beseech Thee by Thy imprisonment which Thou hast made the seat of Thy throne and wherein Thy call was raised amongst Thy creation, to make me firm, steadfast and unwavering in Thy love and in service to Thy Cause.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1304 ? [1886-1887], to Abdur-Rauf et al -- BH02641)
35
I beseech Thee, O Ocean of Light, by the lights of Thy countenance, the manifestations of Thy grandeur and might, and the revelations of Thy power and sovereignty, to ordain for me the reward of attaining Thy presence. Then make me a champion of Thy Cause and steadfast in Thy service.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1304 ? [1886-1887], to Mirza Muhammad Baqir Khan Shirazi -- BH05130)
36
I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance to assist me in serving Thy Cause in such wise that the doubts of Thine enemies and the signs of the tyrants among Thy creatures shall not hold me back.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1304-11-26 [1887-Aug-16], to Mashhadi Yusuf Bayk -- BH05033)
37
O Lord! I implore Thee by the breathings of Thy revelation and the manifestations of Thy grandeur, and by Thy Name through which Thou hast subdued the world, to aid me to serve Thy Cause in such wise that the clamor of Thy creatures and the might of those who have denied Thy signs may not deter me.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1301-07 [1884-Apr], to Husayn Gulpa -- BH05968)
38
When thou dost inhale the fragrance of the traces of My Most Exalted Pen, say:
My God, my God! I am he who hath turned unto Thee, turning away from Thine enemies who have turned away from Thee and denied Thy signs and disputed Thy proofs after Thou didst summon them unto Thy straight path and Thy mighty announcement. I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy utterance and the sun of Thy proof to aid me to serve Thy Cause and to make mention of Thee and to praise Thee amongst Thy servants.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1304-02-05 [1886-Nov-3], to Mirza Ali Khan -- BH07737)
39
Therefore turn thy face to the Most Glorious Kingdom and seek assistance from the Most Exalted Realm, saying:
O Pure God! Grant confirmation and bestow success, that we may forget both stranger and kin, remain silent from every mention, and be moved to ecstasy by the breezes wafting from Thy sanctified gardens.
The available source contains an omission or incomplete wording; sentence boundaries need review.
40
Make mention of thy Lord at all times and say:
O God of all existence! I beseech Thee by Thy Name, the All-Subduing Lord of Names, to make me steadfast in Thy religion, firm in Thy love, and speaking in Thy beauteous praise. I testify that through Thee the ocean of knowledge hath surged and the fragrance of the garment hath wafted among all religions, and that Thou art He through Whose Name the heaven of utterance hath been raised up and through Whose remembrance the books of the All-Merciful have been honored.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1294 ? [1876-1877], to Muhammad et al -- BH00230)
41
O servant! If thou dost perceive the wafting fragrance of the divine utterance from the words of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, say:
My God, my God! Thou seest me advancing toward Thee and turning away from all else beside Thee. I beseech Thee by the steadfastness whereby the feet of most of Thy creatures have slipped, and by the light of Thy Cause which hath shone forth from the horizon of Thy will, to ordain for me through the Pen of Thy bounty that which shall profit me in the world to come and in this life.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1306-01-28 [1888-Oct-4], to Mulla Muhammad Qa'ini (Nabil-i-Akbar) et al -- BH00043)
42
I beseech Thee to assist me in serving Thee. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Munificent, the Forgiving, the Gracious.
I beseech Thee to assist me under all conditions to serve Thy Cause.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1307 ? [1889-1890], to Mirza Asadullah Vazir -- BH07926)
44
I beseech Thee to make me one of those who aid Thy Cause, who arise to serve Thee, who rest beneath the canopy of Thy mercy, and who are tranquil through the lights of the Sun of Thy Beauty.
(Bahá’u’lláh, ca. 1289-1290?, to Aqa Siyyid Ibrahim -- BH02147)
45
O my Lord! Ordain for me in all conditions that which will draw me nigh unto Thee, that I may arise to serve Thee amidst Thy servants.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1304-03-11 [1886-Dec-8], to Aqa Siyyid Abutalib Shahmirzadi -- BH11808)
46
I moreover beseech Thee, O my God, to aid me in serving Thy Cause and in acknowledging that which hath been sent down in Thy Book.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1298-12 [1881-Oct], to Muhammad Husayn -- BH08260)
47
Say: O Lord of the world and Creator of the nations! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Name to make me, in all conditions, a servant of Thy Cause, a helper of Thy Faith, one who remembereth Thy Name, one who uttereth that which Thou hast sent down through Thy sovereignty, and one who acteth according to that which hath been inscribed in Thy Book.
(Bahá’u’lláh, to Muhammad Baqir Naraqi -- BH03231)
48
I beseech Thee by Thy most excellent Names and most exalted Attributes to make me a servant of Thy Cause and one who acteth according to what Thou hast revealed in Thy Book, and one who maketh mention of Thy Name until my days end with attaining Thy presence and meeting Thee.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1307-01-09 [1889-Sep-5], to Muhammad Baqir Khalajabadi -- BH07357)
49
I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thy Self, to manifest through me in Thy service that which will cause my remembrance to endure in Thy dominion and Thy heaven of might.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1292-06-03 [1875-Jul-7], to Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad Husayn -- BH10180)
50
O Lord, O Lord! Ordain for him every good that Thou hast ordained for Thy loved ones, strengthen his loins for Thy service, make his affairs easy through Thy bounty and mercy, and make him a sign of Thy unity amongst Thy creation, speaking Thy praise, bowing before Thy threshold, relying upon Thee, and clinging to the hem of Thy grandeur.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, to Siyyid Muhammad Tabib -- AB09652)
51
Say: My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having enabled me to serve Thee, wherein I have taken up, in Thy vicinity, a station and place for Thy remembrance, Thy praise, and that which Thou hast commanded me in Thy days.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1307-04-05 [1889-Nov-29], to Haji Ali (Ali Qabl-i-Akbar) -- BH04337)
52
O my Lord! Ordain for me from the wonders of Thy grace such deeds as will diffuse the fragrance of Thy acceptance and the sweet-scented breeze of Thy good-pleasure.
(Bahá’u’lláh, 1306-06-19 [1889-Feb-20], to Ustad Ahmad Banna -- BH11881)