“O Lord! Strengthen these fragile seedlings that each one may become a fruitful tree, verdant and flourishing.” –`Abdu’l-Bahá, Baha’i Prayer
How can we begin to imagine the challenges that our precious youth will face? Chaos accelerates by the hour. Unforeseen challenges—good and bad—abound, including environmental realities, new scientific discoveries, an emerging feminine influence, artificial intelligence, corruption, and territorial wars, to name a few. The old-world systems are giving way to a new World Order.
Baha’i prayers for youth
O Lord! Make this youth radiant, and confer Thy bounty upon this poor creature. Bestow upon him knowledge, grant him added strength at the break of every morn and guard him within the shelter of Thy protection so that he may be freed from error, may devote himself to the service of Thy Cause, may guide the wayward, lead the hapless, free the captives and awaken the heedless, that all may be blessed with Thy remembrance and praise. Thou art the Mighty and the Powerful. —`Abdu’l-Bahá, Baha’i Prayer
Wherefore, O ye illumined youth, strive by night and by day to unravel the mysteries of the mind and spirit, and to grasp the secrets of the Day of God. Inform yourselves of the evidences that the Most Great Name hath dawned. Open your lips in praise. Adduce convincing arguments and proofs. Lead those who thirst to the fountain of life; grant ye true health to the ailing. Be ye apprentices of God; be ye physicians directed by God, and heal ye the sick among humankind. Bring those who have been excluded into the circle of intimate friends. Make the despairing to be filled with hope. Waken them that slumber; make the heedless mindful. — From a Tablet, translated from the Persian
Family life
“At the core of family life for Tianqi, Daniel and their 2 children are the Baha’i teachings. Their kids have the opportunity to enjoy a culturally and racially diverse community. Spiritual education is a must. A true appreciation and understanding of all religions it taught. Helping children be aware of their surroundings gives them a sense of accountability to make this world a better place. The ”art of consultation” becomes a part of their family’s problem-solving tools. A “virtue tree” lives proudly in their home. They actively study virtues and try to practice them.”
What is on the minds of young people today?
“One thing that is on the minds of young people today is the desire to change the world—and change themselves. Young people have a lot of energy but are searching for purpose. They see before them a world that is crumbling down—and at the same time—a new era which is emerging with justice—pushing through the chaos. What will be their role in this process?
Daniel represents the best of the Baha’i youth today. He is actively engaged with Baha’i youth, friends, an the community—providing young people a forum to discuss issues and channel their voices.”
“The present conditions of the world — its economic instability, social dissensions, political dissatisfaction and international distrust — should awaken the youth from their slumber and make them enquire what the future is going to bring. It is surely they who will suffer most if some calamity sweep over the world. They should therefore open their eyes to the existing conditions, study the evil forces that are at play and then with a concerted effort arise and bring about the necessary reforms — reforms that shall contain within their scope the spiritual as well as social and political phases of human life.” — Quote from the Bahá’í Writings
Our expectant eyes are fixed on Baha’i youth!
“The endurance of youth under arduous conditions, their vitality and vigor, and their ability to adapt themselves to local situations, to meet new challenges, and to impart their warmth and enthusiasm to those they visit, combined with the standard of conduct upheld by Bahá’í youth, make them potent instruments for the execution of the contemplated projects. Indeed, through these distinctive qualities they can become the spearhead of any enterprise and the driving force of any undertaking in which they participate, whether local or national. Our expectant eyes are fixed on Bahá’í youth!” (From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to all National Spiritual Assemblies, May 25, 1975)
Teenagers
“You who are at present in your teens, or twenties, must realize that tomorrow, to a large extent, the burden of the Cause will rest on your shoulders; you will have to be the administrators and teachers and scholars of the Faith. Now is the time to prepare yourselves for your future duties.
“He hopes you will study the teachings deeply, their spiritual, moral, and administrative precepts, and at the same time take as active a part as possible in the life of your respective Bahá’í communities.” (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi: Dawn of a New Day, p. 183)
Special message and mission for youth
“This Cause, although it embraces with equal esteem people of all ages, has a special message and mission for the youth of your generation. It is their charter for their future, their hope, their guarantee of better days to come. Therefore, the Guardian is especially happy that the young Bahá’ís are active in the pioneer work.” (From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, June 16, 1942: Bahá’í News, No. 161, p. 1, March 1943)
To make their views known to others the young people should keep in touch with local youth activities
“…the young Bahá’ís in every city should make a point of keeping in touch with local youth activities and clubs, and endeavoring to make their views known to as many young people in as many ways as possible. Above all they should set a high example to them; chastity, politeness, friendliness, hospitality, joyous optimism about the ultimate future happiness and well-being of mankind should distinguish them and win over to them the love and admiration of their fellow youth. The thing which is most conspicuously lacking in modern life is a high standard of conduct and good character; the young Bahá’ís must demonstrate both, if they hope to seriously win over to the Faith members of their own generation, so sorely disillusioned and so contaminated by the laxity war gives rise to.” (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Youth Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, October 20, 1945)
Prayers for children
“Oh God! Rear this little babe in the bosom of Thy love, and give it milk from the breast of Thy providence. Cultivate this fresh plant in the rose garden of Thy love and aid it to grow through the showers of Thy bounty. Make it a child of the kingdom, and lead it to Thy heavenly realm. Thou art powerful and kind, and Thou art the Bestower, the Generous, the Lord of surpassing bounty.”—`Abdu’l-Bahá, Baha’i Prayer
“O my Lord! O my Lord! I am a child of tender years. Nourish me from the breast of Thy mercy, train me in the bosom of Thy love, educate me in the school of Thy guidance and develop me under the shadow of Thy bounty. Deliver me from darkness, make me a brilliant light; free me from unhappiness, make me a flower of the rose garden; suffer me to become a servant of Thy threshold and confer upon me the disposition and nature of the righteous; make me a cause of bounty to the human world, and crown my head with the diadem of eternal life.
Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Seer, the Hearer.”—`Abdu’l-Bahá, Baha’i Prayer
“O Peerless Lord! Be Thou a shelter for this poor child and a kind and forgiving Master unto this erring and unhappy soul. O Lord! Though we are but worthless plants, yet we belong to Thy garden of roses. Though saplings without leaves and blossoms, yet we are a part of Thine orchard. Nurture this plant then through the outpourings of the clouds of Thy tender mercy and quicken and refresh this sapling through the reviving breath of Thy spiritual springtime. Suffer him to become heedful, discerning and noble, and grant that he may attain eternal life and abide in Thy Kingdom for evermore.” —`Abdu’l-Bahá, Baha’i Prayer
“O Lord! I am a child; enable me to grow beneath the shadow of Thy loving-kindness. I am a tender plant; cause me to be nurtured through the outpourings of the clouds of Thy bounty. I am a sapling of the garden of love; make me into a fruitful tree.
Thou art the Mighty and the Powerful, and Thou art the All-Loving, the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing.”—`Abdu’l-Bahá, Baha’i Prayer
“O Lord! Make these children excellent plants. Let them grow and develop in the Garden of Thy Covenant, and bestow freshness and beauty through the outpourings from the clouds of the all-glorious Kingdom.
O Thou kind Lord! I am a little child, exalt me by admitting me to the kingdom. I am earthly, make me heavenly; I am of the world below, let me belong to the realm above; gloomy, suffer me to become radiant; material, make me spiritual, and grant that I may manifest Thine infinite bounties.
Thou art the Powerful, the All-Loving.”—`Abdu’l-Bahá, Baha’i Prayer
Extract from a Tablet of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá
O pilgrim of the Sacred Dust!
Render a myriad thanks unto the All-Glorious, Who hath guided thee on this path and enabled thee to attain the threshold of the Omniscient Lord, to find refuge within the stronghold of His favours, and to obtain that which is the ultimate hope and desire of all His chosen ones.
Now, as thou returnest to ‘Ishqábád, thou must take with thee armfuls of flowers as a gift from the heavenly rose-garden that their sweet scent may perfume the nostrils and stir the senses of the youth. For these lovely youth are the children of the realms above and the tender plants of the all-highest Paradise. They are flowers and fragrant herbs in the garden of certitude, the jasmine and eglantine of the All-Merciful Lord. They have been nursed at the breast of Divine unity and nurtured in the bosom of the wondrous Cause of God. They have become fresh and verdant through the outpourings of the clouds of loving-kindness.
O youth of this century of God! In this new age, this century of the Glorious Lord, ye must be so attracted to the Blessed Beauty and so enthralled by the Beloved of the World that ye may become the embodiments of the truth of this verse:
I am lost, O Love, possessed and dazed,
Love’s fool am I, in all the earth.
By Susan Peterson, member of the Highland Park Baha’i community | January, 2024
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