adminFlora Teckie A Bahá’í Perspective
THROUGH prayer we commune with God, we praise the Almighty Creator and express our love for Him. The capacity to meditate is our distinguishing feature as human beings. The Bahá’í Writings suggest that human progress would be impossible without reflection and contemplation.“Prayer and meditation are very important factors in deepening the spiritual life of the individual,” state the Bahá’í Writings, “but with them must go also action and example, as these are the tangible results of the former. Both are essential”.
We know that God is the All-knowing and the All-wise. Some of us may be asking: if God is the All-knowing, that He knows our wishes and our needs, then is it necessary to pray?
“If one friend loves another, is it not natural that he should wish to say so? Though he knows that friend is aware of his love, does he still not wish to tell him of it? It is true that God knows the wishes of all hearts; but the impulse to pray is a natural one, springing from man’s love to God,” say the Bahá’í Writings.
We pray for various reasons: to praise God, to thank Him for all His bounties and blessings and so on – and not only when we need something or we have difficult times in our lives.
If a child approaches his father only when he is in need of funds or when he is in trouble, how would his father feel?
Prayer is conversation with the Creator. We commune with God through prayer and receive guidance through studying of the Word of God. Prayer and meditation are primary tools for our spiritual development. The same way as our bodies need nourishment to develop properly, we need regular prayer for our spiritual growth and health.
Besides, the process of spiritual development requires moral and spiritual choices, often involving challenges. Through ardent, sincere and regular prayers our souls will be strengthened and we can overcome challenges and obstacles in life easier.
The Bahá’í Writings state: “… the core of religious faith is that mystic feeling that unites man with God. This state of spiritual communion can be brought about and maintained by means of meditation and prayer. … It is not sufficient for a believer to merely accept and observe the teachings. He should, in addition, cultivate the sense of spirituality, which he can acquire chiefly by the means of prayer. … Laws and institutions, as viewed by Bahá’u’lláh, can become really effective only when our inner spiritual life has been perfected and transformed. Otherwise religion will degenerate into a mere organisation, and become a dead thing.”
When we pray it is important to center our thoughts and our innermost being on God and forget what is going on around us. We should reflect on the words we say.
The mere repetition of words is of no value. Sincerity of heart and concentration of mind is what matters most. Praying with sincerity and dedication draws upon the spiritual blessings that flow from the Source of love and mercy to humanity.
According to the Bahá’í Writings prayer “creates spirituality, creates mindfulness and celestial feelings, begets new attractions of the Kingdom and engenders the susceptibilities of the higher intelligence”.
The Bahá’í Writings encourage us to be both deeply spiritual and highly practical. While encouraged to pray and meditate daily, at the same time we are to be engaged with the world at large. Service to humanity, for example, is viewed among the highest priorities in one’s life. The governing council of the Bahá’í International Community states: “ … true faith is no mere acknowledgment of the unity of God, but rather the living of a life that will manifest all the perfections and virtues implied in such belief.”
Active service to humanity, together with prayer, meditation and obedience to spiritual and moral laws enable us to develop spiritually and grow closer to God.
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