THE BAH FAITH O God Refresh and Gladden

THE BAHÁ’Í FAITH

“O God! Refresh and Gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved; I will be a happy and joyful being. O God! I will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life. O God! Thou art more friend to me than I am to myself. I dedicate myself to Thee O Lord. ”

O my God! Unite the hearts of Thy servants, and reveal to them Thy great purpose. May they follow Thy commandments and abide in Thy law. Help them, O God, in their endeavor, and grant them strength to serve Thee. O God! Leave them not to themselves, but guide their steps by the light of Thy knowledge, and cheer their hearts by Thy love. Verily, Thou art their Helper and their Lord. ~Bahá'u'lláh

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

ALL PEOPLES – ONE COMMON FAITH The Bahá’í Faith is a world religion whose purpose is to unite all the races and peoples in one universal Cause and one common Faith. Bahá’ís are followers of Bahá’u’lláh, Who they believe is the Promised One of all Ages. “That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith. ”

ONE PLANET ONE PEOPLE We’re all living in a dream of one world Hoping that everyone will Love as they were meant to love We’re all living in a dream of one world Hoping that everyone will Live as they were meant to live Chorus: One planet, one people, please God we may achieve it, one planet, one people please. . . We’re all living in a dream of world peace Hoping that everyone sees A world of love and unity We’re all living in a dream of world peace A world of different countries Living in peace and harmony (Chorus)

BAHÁ’U’LLÁH He is the great spiritual Educator Whose Teachings will enable humanity to build a new world… “Then it is plain and evident that man needs an educator, and this educator must be unquestionably and indubitably perfect in all respects and distinguished above all men. ” 8

Rejoice, rejoice, for a new Day has dawned The whole wide world is all one fold Rejoice, for a new Day has dawned The plan of God has now been told The Promised One by the name of Bahá Came to bring a new Day Let us be happy, let us say Ya Baha’u’l-Abha Say Ya Baha’u’l-Abha

GOD, THE UNKNOWABLE CREATOR Bahá’u’lláh teaches us that God is unknowable in His Essence. This means that we should not make images of God in our mind, thinking of Him, for example, as a man. In general, that which has been created cannot understand its creator. God is the Creator of all things and the reason behind our creation is love. Bahá’u’lláh teaches us that God loved us, and we were created from this love.

“O SON OF MAN! I loved thy creation, hence I created thee. Wherefore, do thou love Me, that I may name thy name and fill thy soul with the spirit of life. ”

O SON OF BEING! (X 2) Love me that I may love thee, If thou lovest Me not, My love can in no wise reach thee (X 2) Know this O servant. (X 2)

THE ETERNAL COVENANT The way this love flows to us is through His Eternal Covenant. God never leaves us alone and without Guidance; when humanity moves away from God and forgets His Teachings, a Manifestation of God appears and makes God’s Will and Purpose known to us.

MANIFESTATION OF GOD The Manifestations of God reveal the Word and Will of God and to listen to Them is to respond to the Call of God. The Manifestations of God are like perfect Mirrors that reflect the Light of God in all its Splendor. And all these Mirrors reflect the same Light. While God is beyond our reach, these perfect Beings come to us from time to time, live among us, give us guidance, and fill us with the energy we need to progress, materially and spiritually.

Noah, Abraham, Krishna, Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus Christ and Muhammad, The Báb and Bahá'u'lláh They are the waves of one sea They are the birds of one tree Singing one song They are the lamps of one light Come and be their lovers, be lovers of light

THE PLIGHT OF HUMANITY The Promise of this Day Bahá’u’lláh says: “This is the Day in which God’s most excellent favors have been poured out upon men, the Day in which His most mighty grace hath been infused into all created things. It is incumbent upon all the peoples of the world to reconcile their differences, and, with perfect unity and peace, abide beneath the shadow of the Tree of His care and loving-kindness. ”

These great oppressions that have befallen the world are preparing it for the advent of the Most Great Justice. These fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the ‘Most Great Peace’ shall come. . .