I found out several decades ago, that reviewing parts I picked out from the Synopsis and Codification of the Kitabi-Aqdas (before the Kitabi-Aqdas was published in English) helped to center me and focus my energy. I like to say this in the morning to prepare myself for the day. I used to just visualize myself practicing the teachings and laws, but over time I found this harder to do. First off, I found sometimes I felt somewhat in despair that I could practice some of these things in the day ahead of me. Second, I have found that I often never know what to expect from my people environment, because things seem so unpredictable to me these days. In these days when anything goes, I found it hard to imagine a social context I could practice these teachings in, because the context seemed to change so frequently. So, I converted this to a prayer. I added random names of God, found in the Baha’i Writings.
For items I have been generally OK or good at, I added the ending “like You know I am generally good at”. So the line: “Oh my God, help me to be persevering” would become “Oh my God, help me to be persevering, like You know I am generally good at.” This helps to affirm that I have been generally good at this in the past. Often other people don’t know your strengths, or believe the opposite of what is true, so adding “like You know” affirms to me that God, all-seeing and all-knowing, knows what I am good at, even though people may have very different ideas about that. Sometimes, this addition is the most valuable part of the prayer, in times when dealing with hostile people and environments and lying. I urge you to copy the prayer below, paste it to a word processor file, and add this ending to items you are generally good at. Also, I have included things that might not be applicable to everyone, such as “to teach my children to chant the holy verses in the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar”, so please take out items not applicable to you, or add anything else you see as important.
I find this prayer helpful for the following reasons:
- it helps keep the basic teachings and the laws in my mind, in the hope that I will internalize him and make them my own.
- Sometimes while saying this prayer, I will be aware that these teachings or laws are different from what other people are doing, and just this awareness itself can often help me to deal with situations where I am dealing with people with different values or morals.
- It helps me to stay humble, because in saying it, I’m usually reminded that I am not perfect at everything here. And turning to God in prayer and a humble spirit, helps me to achieve the right spirit to address God, and know my relationship to Him.
- It helps me to clarify the basics, so when I am feeling inferior because of my lack of accomplishment, and other people are treating me that way too, I can think in my mind while if the best that I can do is to put the synopsis into practice in my life, then at least I am not a source of evil or a big problem for other people or the world.
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The Prayer
Oh my God, the Abiding One, help me to associate with the followers of all religions with fellowship.
Oh my God, the All-Bountiful, help me to honour my parents.
Oh my God, the All-Informed, help me to not wish for others what I don’t wish for myself.
Oh my God, the All-Merciful, help me to teach and propagate the Faith.
Oh my God, the All-Seeing, help me to assist those who arise to promote the Faith.
Oh my God, the Ancient of Days, help me to not depart from the Writings or to be misled by those who do.
Oh my God, the Beginning and End, help me to refer to the Holy Writ when differences arise.
Oh my God, the Breath, help me to immerse myself in the study of the Teachings.
Oh my God, the Day Star, help me to not follow my idle fancies and vain imaginations.
Oh my God, the Desire of the World, help me to recite the holy verses at morn and at eventide.
Oh my God, the Divine Educator, help me to recite the holy verses melodiously.
Oh my God, the Dominant, help me to teach my children to chant the holy verses in the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar.
Oh my God, the Eternal Lord, help me to study such arts and sciences as benefit mankind.
Oh my God, the Exalted, help me to take counsel together.
Oh my God, the Faithful One, help me to not be indulgent in carrying out Your statutes.
Oh my God, the Gracious, help me to repent to You of my sins.
Oh my God, the Guardian, help me to be truthful.
Oh my God, the Help in Peril, help me to be trustworthy.
Oh my God, the Incorruptible, help me to be faithful.
Oh my God, the Inmost Essence, help me to be righteous and fear You.
Oh my God, the Invisible, help me to be just and fair.
Oh my God, the Uncreated, help me to be tactful and wise.
Oh my God, the King of Kings, help me to be courteous.
Oh my God, the Lord of Earth and Heaven, help me to be hospitable.
Oh my God, the Majesty, help me to be persevering.
Oh my God, the Maker of the Heavens, help me to be detached.
Oh my God, the Most Manifest, help me to be absolutely submissive to Your Will.
Oh my God, the Most Powerful, help me to not stir up mischief.
Oh my God, the Mover, help me to not be hypocritical.
Oh my God, the Mystic Source, help me to not be proud.
Oh my God, the Object of All Learning, help me to not be fanatical.
Oh my God, the Omnipotent Avenger, help me to not prefer myself to my neighbour.
Oh my God, the Ordainer, help me to not contend with my neighbour.
Oh my God, the One True God, help me to not indulge my passions.
Oh my God, the Origin of All Things, help me to not lament in adversity.
Oh my God, the Peerless, help me to not contend with those in authority.
Oh my God, the Potent, help me to not lose my temper.
Oh my God, the Provider of All Means, help me to not anger my neighbour.
Oh my God, the Quickener, help me to be closely united.
Oh my God, the Raiser from the Dead, help me to consult competent physicians when ill.
Oh my God, the Revealer, help me to respond to invitations.
Oh my God, the Rich, help me to study languages for the furtherance of the Faith.
Oh my God, the Ruler of the Day of Reckoning, help me to further the development of cities and countries for the glorification of the Faith.
Oh my God, the Sea of Seas, help me to be the essence of cleanliness.
Oh my God, the Self-Subsisting, help me to be stainless in my dress.
Oh my God, the Slayer, help me to not interpret the Holy Writ.
Oh my God, the Source of Divine Grace, help me to refrain from begging.
Oh my God, the Sovereign Lord of All, help me not to confess my sins to others.
Oh my God, the Subtile, help me to not drink alcohol.
Oh my God, the Sun of Truth, help me to not take drugs such as opium.
Oh my God, the Sustainer, help me to not gamble.
Oh my God, the Great Announcement, help me to not commit arson.
Oh my God, the True Physician, help me to not commit adultery.
Oh my God, the Ultimate Desire, help me to not murder anyone.
Oh my God, the Unchangable Being, help me to not steal anything.
Oh my God, the Unconditioned, help me to not commit homosexual acts.
Oh my God, the Unconstrained, help me to not be cruel to animals.
Oh my God, the Undying Fire, help me to not indulge in idleness and sloth.
Oh my God, Unfailing Protector, help me to not backbite.
Oh my God, the Unifier, help me to not commit calumny.
Oh my God, the Unknowable Essence, help me to not carry arms unless essential.
Oh my God, the Unseen Beauty, help me not to enter a house without the owner’s permission.
Oh my God, the Well-Beloved, help me to not strike or wound a person.
Oh my God, the Wise One, help me not to be involved in contention and conflict.
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