Grayson Highlands, USA
As I was hiking the Appalachian Trail, I came into a clearing — a wide open space with a 360 degree view of blue, rolling mountains. The sun was setting, and it was time to bed down. My small tent offered the protection of a thin layer against all of the elements. I wondered, what is the strength that will keep us safe each night with so little material protection?
“I swear by Thy might! With Thy love in My heart nothing can ever alarm Me, and in the path of Thy good pleasure all the world’s afflictions can in no wise dismay Me. All this, however, proceedeth from the power and Thy might, from Thy bounty and Thy grace, and is not of Mine own deserving.”
— Baha’u’llah, Nasiri’d-Din Shah, Summons of the Lord of Hosts
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Kampala, Uganda
“Lord! Pitiful are we, grant us Thy favor; poor, bestow upon us a share from the ocean of Thy wealth; needy, do Thou satisfy us; abased, give us Thy glory. The fowls of the air and the beasts of the field receive their meat each day from Thee, and all beings partake of Thy care and loving-kindness.
Deprive not this feeble one of Thy wondrous grace and vouchsafe by Thy might unto this helpless soul Thy bounty.
Give us our daily bread, and grant Thine increase in the necessities of life, that we may be dependent on none other but Thee, may commune wholly with Thee, may walk in Thy ways and declare Thy mysteries. Thou art the almighty and the Loving and the Provider of all mankind.”
—`Abdu’l-Bahá, Baha’i Prayers, pp. 20-21
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South Carolina, USA
“Dear God, thank You for hearing our prayer this week.
The news around the globe has not been good. Please help us through these broken times. We trust in You and seek to practice Your love and mercy to all. Make us agents of Your peace and may Your Light shine in all the dark corners of the world.”
— Congregational Church prayer-circle prayer, author unknown
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Dominguez, Argentina
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Adelaide, Australia
“The glory of Thy might beareth me witness, O my God! It behoveth all to lay down their lives for the sake of Thine ear that heareth the cries of Thine ardent lovers in every land and the sighs of Thy friends who suffer at the hands of Thine enemies. Verily, the voice of their lamentation hath been raised on account of their love for Thee, and their hearts are consumed with the fire of separation in Thy days. May my soul be a ransom for Thy long-suffering, O Countenance of glory, and may my spirit be a sacrifice for Thy forbearance, O Thou in Whose hand is the kingdom of earth and heaven!”
— Bahá’u’lláh, Days of Remembrance
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Louisville, USA
“Thy might beareth me witness, O my God, what befitteth Thee is far greater and more exalted than any being could attempt to accomplish. Indeed nothing can ever comprehend Thee as is worthy of Thee nor can any servile creature worship Thee as beseemeth Thine adoration. So perfect and comprehensive is Thy proof, O my God, that its inner essence transcendeth the description of any soul and so abundant are the outpourings of Thy gifts that no faculty can appraise their infinite range.”
— The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab