Bahá'í Prayers — `Abdu'l-Bahá
America

O God, my God!  I implore Thee with a throbbing heart and streaming tears to aid whosoever expendeth his energy for the erection of this House, and the construction of this Building wherein Thy name is mentioned every morn and every eve.

O God!  Send down Thy divine increase on whosoever endeavoreth to serve this edifice and exerteth himself to raise it amongst the kindreds and religions of the world.  Confirm him in every good deed in promoting the welfare of mankind.  Open Thou the doors of wealth and abundance unto him and make him an heir to the treasures of the Kingdom, which perish not.  Make him a sign of Thy bestowals among the peoples and reinforce him by the sea of Thy generosity and bounty, surging with waves of Thy grace and favor.  Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Merciful and the Bountiful.

Bless Thou, O King of Kings, the city of New York!  Cause the friends there to be kind to one another.  Purify their souls and make their hearts to be free and detached.  Illumine the world of their consciousness.  Exhilarate their spirits and bestow celestial power and confirmation upon them.  Establish there a heavenly realm, so that the City of Baha may prosper and New York be favoured with blessings from the Abha Kingdom, that this region may become like the all-highest Paradise, may develop into a vineyard of God and be transformed into a heavenly orchard and a spiritual rose garden.

O Thou kind Lord!  This gathering is turning to Thee.  These hearts are radiant with Thy love.  These minds and spirits are exhilarated by the message of Thy glad-tidings.  O God!  Let this American democracy become glorious in spiritual degrees even as it has aspired to material degrees, and render this just government victorious.  Confirm this revered nation to upraise the standard of the oneness of humanity, to promulgate the Most Great Peace, to become thereby most glorious and praiseworthy among all the nations of the world.  O God!  This American nation is worthy of Thy favors and is deserving of Thy mercy.  Make it precious and near to Thee through Thy bounty and bestowal.