Prayer

“Prayer is the service of the heart”

– Judaism

For more information about the Bahá’í Faith contact:

A: 27 Rutland Gate, London SW7 1PD

T: 020 7584 2566
W: Bahai.org | Bahai.org.uk

Tags: Bahai devotions, Bahai devotionals, Baha’i devotional programs, Bahai writings, Bahai
Page 2
Hinduism c. 3000 BC
O Father of the Earth, by fixed laws ruling,
O Father of the Heavens, pray protect us,
O Father of the great and shining Waters!
What God shall we adore with our oblation?
O Lord of Creatures, Father of all beings,
you alone pervade all that has come to birth.
Grant us our heart's desire for which we pray.
May we become the lords of many treasures!
— Rig Veda 10.121
Page 11
The Bahá'í Faith 1844 AD
Intone, O My servant, the verses of God that have been
received by thee, as intoned by them who have drawn nigh
unto Him, that the sweetness of thy melody may kindle thine
own soul, and attract the hearts of all men. Whoso reciteth, in
the privacy of his chamber, the verses revealed by God, the
scattering angels of the Almighty shall scatter abroad the
fragrance of the words uttered by his mouth, and shall cause
the heart of every righteous man to throb. Though he may, at
first, remain unaware of its effect, yet the virtue of the grace
vouchsafed unto him must needs sooner or later exercise its
influence upon his soul. Thus have the mysteries of the
Revelation of God been decreed by virtue of the Will of Him
Who is the Source of power and wisdom.
— Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 295
Page 10 Page 3

The Bahá'í Faith 1844 AD Judaism c. 1500 BC

We should speak in the language of heaven – in the language The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
of the spirit – for there is a language of the spirit and heart. It is To all who call upon Him in truth.
as different from our language as our own language is different He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
from that of the animals, who express themselves only by cries He will also hear their cry and will save them.
and sounds. It is the language of the spirit which speaks to The Lord keeps all who love Him.
God. When, in prayer, we are freed from all outward things
and turn to God, then it is as if in our hearts we hear the voice — Psalms 145:18-20
of God. Without words we speak, we communicate, we
converse with God and hear the answer. ... All of us, when we
attain to a truly spiritual condition, can hear the Voice of God.
Prayer is the service of the heart.
—`Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, p. 99
— Talmund
Page 4 Page 9

Buddhism c. 400 BC The Bahá'í Faith 1844 AD

And now, O Ananda, stand up, facing westward, and having The most acceptable prayer is the one offered with the utmost
taken a handful of flowers, fall down. This is the quarter spirituality and radiance, its prolongation hath not been and is
where that Bhagavat Amitabha, the Tathagata, holy and fully not beloved by God. The more detached and the purer the
enlightened, dwells, remains, supports himself, and teaches prayer, the more acceptable is it in the presence of God.
the Dharma, whose spotless and pure name, famed in every
quarter of the whole world with its ten quarters, the blessed — Selections from the Writings of the Báb, pp. 94, 77
Buddhas, equal to the grains of the sand of the river Ganges,
speaking and answering again and again without stopping,
extol, praise, and eulogize [praise].

— The Larger Sukhavati-Vyuha 39, in Fozdar, Buddha, p. 463

Page 8
The Bahá'í Faith 1844 AD
If one friend feels love for another, he will wish to say so.
Though he knows that the friend is aware that he loves him, he
will still wish to say so.... God knows the wishes of all hearts. But
the impulse to prayer is a natural one, springing from man's love
to God. Prayer need not be in words, but rather 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?
—'Abdu'l-Baha's words as quoted in J. E. Esslemont,
Baha'u'llah and the New Era, p. 94
Page 5
Christianity 1 AD
And I say unto you, ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye
shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one
that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him
that knocketh it shall be opened.
— Luke 11:9-10
Is any one among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let
him sing praise. Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders
of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil
in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick
man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins,
he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another,
and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of
a righteous man has great power in its effects.
— James 5.13-16
Page 6
Islam c. 613 AD
O my son! Verily, God will bring everything to light, though it
were but the weight of a grain of mustard-seed, and hidden
in a rock or in the heavens or in the earth; for God is Subtile,
informed of all.
O my son! Observe prayer, and enjoin the right and
forbid the wrong, and be patient under whatever shall
betide thee: for this is a bounden duty.
— Qur’án, 31: 15-16
Prayer restrains one from shameful and unjust deeds; and
remembrance of God is the greatest thing in life, without
doubt.
— Qur’án, 29.45
Page 7
The Bahá'í Faith 1844 AD
The wisdom of prayer is this: That it causeth a connection
between the servant and the True One, because in that state,
man with all heart and soul turneth his face towards His
Highness the Almighty, seeking His association and desiring
His love and compassion. The greatest happiness for a lover is
to converse with his beloved, and the greatest gift for a
seeker is to become familiar with the object of his longing;
that is why with every soul who is attracted to the Kingdom
of God, his greatest hope is to find an opportunity to entreat
and supplicate before his Beloved, appeal for His mercy and
grace and be immersed in the ocean of His utterance,
goodness and generosity.
— `Abdu'l-Bahá, cited in Bahá'í World Faith, p. 368