28 Feb | a.m

Thou seest, O God of Mercy, Thou Whose power pervadeth all created things, these servants of Thine, Thy thralls, who, according to the good-pleasure of Thy Will, observe in the daytime the fast prescribed by Thee, who arise, at the earliest dawn of day, to make mention of Thy Name, and to celebrate Thy praise, in the hope of obtaining their share of the goodly things that are treasured up within the treasuries of Thy grace and bounty.

- Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 299

The nineteen-day fast is a duty to be observed by all.... This fast is conducive to the spiritual development of the individual. The Greatest Name should be read every day.

- Abdu’l-Bahá, Tablets of Abdu’l-Bahá v1, p. 56

27 Feby | p.m

In the Prayer of Fasting We have revealed: "Should Thy Will decree that out of Thy mouth these words proceed and be addressed unto them, 'Observe, for My Beauty's sake, the fast, O people, and set no limit to its duration,' I swear by the majesty of Thy glory, that every one of them will faithfully observe it, will abstain from whatsoever will violate Thy law, and will continue to do so until they yield up their souls unto Thee." In this consisteth the complete surrender of one's will to the Will of God.

 

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 337

27 Feb | a.m

Blessed is he that observeth the fast wholly for Thy sake and with absolute detachment from all things except Thee.

- Bahá'u'lláh, Prayers and Meditations by Bahá'u'lláh, p. 10

[Fasting] essentially a period of meditation and prayer, of spiritual recuperation, during which the believer must strive to make the necessary readjustments in his inner life, and to refresh and reinvigorate the spiritual forces latent in his soul. Its significance and purpose are, fundamentally spiritual in character. Fasting is symbolic, and a reminder of abstinence from selfish and carnal desired."

- From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, January 10, 1936

25 Feb | p.m

This is an Announcement whereat the hearts of the Prophets and Messengers have rejoiced...The hands of the Messengers were, in their desire to meet Me, upraised towards God, the Mighty, the Glorified.... Some lamented in their separation from Me, others endured hardships in My path, and still others laid down their lives for the sake of My Beauty, could ye but know it. Say: I, verily, have not sought to extol Mine Own Self, but rather God Himself were ye to judge fairly.

 

-Baha'u'llah, The Proclamation of Baha'u'llah, p. 29

25 Feb | a.m

They conspire each day to put Me to death, and seek at every hour to banish Me from this land, even as they banished Me from another land. Yet this Servant standeth ready before them, awaiting whatsoever the Almighty hath ordained and decreed for Us. Nor do I fear any soul, encompassed as We may be by such trials and tribulations as are inflicted by the wicked and the malicious and surrounded at this hour by a myriad woes and sorrows. "Noah's flood is but the measure of the tears I have shed, and Abraham's fire an ebullition of My soul. Jacob's grief is but a reflection of My sorrows, and Job's afflictions a fraction of My calamity."

 

- Baha'u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 66

24 Feb | p.m

All that hath befallen Us in the past hath advanced the interests of Our Revelation and blazoned its fame; and all that may befall Us in the future will have a like result. Cling ye, with your inmost hearts, to the Cause of God, a Cause that hath been sent down by Him Who is the Ordainer, the All-Wise.

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 270

Behold how in this Dispensation the worthless and foolish have fondly imagined that by such instruments as massacre, plunder and banishment they can extinguish the Lamp which the Hand of Divine power hath lit…. How utterly unaware they seem to be of the truth that such adversity is the oil that feedeth the flame of this Lamp! Such is God's transforming power.

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 72

24 Feb | a.m

My imprisonment doeth Me no harm, neither the tribulations I suffer, nor the things that have befallen Me at the hands of My oppressors. That which harmeth Me is the conduct of those who, though they bear My name, yet commit that which maketh My heart and My pen to lament. They that spread disorder in the land, and lay hands on the property of others, and enter a house without leave of its owner, We, verily, are clear of them, unless they repent and return unto God, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

- Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 23

All the Divine Manifestations sent by God into the world would have gone through their terrible hardships and sufferings for the single hope of spreading Truth, unity and concord among men.

- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 121

23 Feb | p.m

Blessed is he who hath heard of My grief and hath arisen to aid Me among My people. Blessed is he who hath laid down his life in My path and hath borne manifold hardships for the sake of My Name. Blessed the man who, assured of My Word, hath arisen from among the dead to celebrate My praise.

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 17

As we suffer these misfortunes we must remember that the Prophets of God Themselves were not immune from these things which men suffer. They knew sorrow, illness and pain too. They rose above these things through Their spirits, and that is what we must try and do too, when afflicted. The troubles of this world pass, and what we have left is what we have made of our souls; so it is to this we must look - to becoming more spiritual, drawing nearer to God, no matter what our human minds and bodies go through.

- Shoghi Effendi, Directives from the Guardian, p. 67

23 Feb | a.m

By My Lord! Were I given the choice between, on the one hand, the wealth and opulence, the ease and comfort, the honour and glory which they enjoy, and, on the other, the adversities and trials which are Mine, I would unhesitatingly choose My present condition and would refuse to barter a single atom of these hardships for all that hath been created in the world of being.

- Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 136

Though aware that they would lead to tribulations, and be the cause of troubles and afflictive trials, He [Bahá’u’lláh], solely as a token of His loving-kindness and favor, and for the purpose of quickening the dead and of manifesting the Cause of the Lord of all Names and Attributes, and of redeeming all who are on earth, hath closed His eyes to His own well-being and borne that which no other person hath borne or will bear.

- Bahá’u’lláh, quoted by Shoghi Effendi in The Promised Day is Come, p. 46

22 Feb | p.m

Say, O friends! Strive that haply the tribulations suffered by this Wronged One and by you, in the path of God, may not prove to have been in vain. Cling ye to the hem of virtue, and hold fast to the cord of trustworthiness and piety. Concern yourselves with the things that benefit mankind, and not with your corrupt and selfish desires.

- Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 28

Forget not My bounties while I am absent. Remember My days during thy days, and My distress and banishment in this remote prison.

- Compilations, Baha'i Prayers, p. 210

22 Feb | a.m

But for the tribulations that have touched Me in the path of God, life would have held no sweetness for Me, and Mine existence would have profited Me nothing. For them who are endued with discernment, and whose eyes are fixed upon the Sublime Vision, it is no secret that I have been, most of the days of My life, even as a slave, sitting under a sword hanging on a thread, knowing not whether it would fall soon or late upon him. And yet, notwithstanding all this We render thanks unto God, the Lord of the worlds, and yield Him praise at all times and under all conditions.

 

- Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 136

21 Feb | p.m

God beareth Me witness. Though My Pen be still moving on My Tablet, yet, in its very heart, it weepeth and is sore distressed…Thus have We disclosed to thee a glimmer of the woes that have come upon us, that thou mayest be made aware of Our sufferings, and patiently endure thy sorrows.

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 295

God sent all His Prophets into the world with one aim, to sow in the hearts of men love and goodwill, and for this great purpose they were willing to suffer and to die.

- Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 106

21 Feb | a.m

Though afflicted with countless tribulations, which We have suffered at the hands of Our enemies, We have proclaimed unto all the rulers of the earth what God hath willed to proclaim, that all nations may know that no manner of affliction can deter the Pen of the Ancient of Days from achieving its purpose. His Pen moveth by the leave of God, Who fashioneth the crumbling and rotten bones.

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 242

 I am aware that thou art much afflicted, and in extreme distress; but if we taste a drop from affliction's cup, the Blessed Beauty drank down a sea of anguish, and once we call this to mind, then every hardship turneth into peaceful rest, and toil into merciful bliss.

- Abdu’l-Bahá, The Rosenberg Tablet

20 February | p.m

The Ancient Beauty hath consented to be bound with chains that mankind may be released from its bondage, and hath accepted to be made a prisoner within this most mighty Stronghold that the whole world may attain unto true liberty. He hath drained to its dregs the cup of sorrow, that all the peoples of the earth may attain unto abiding joy, and be filled with gladness.

- Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, pp. 99-100

20 February | a.m

Say: Be ashamed, O ye that call yourselves the lovers of the Ancient Beauty! Be ye admonished by the tribulation He hath suffered, by the burden of anguish He hath carried for the sake of God. Let your eyes be opened. To what purpose hath He labored, if the manifold trials He hath endured are, in the end, to result in such contemptible professions, and such wretched conduct?

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 298

In order to insure the progress of mankind and to establish these principles His Holiness Bahá'u'lláh suffered every ordeal and difficulty.

- Abdu’l-Bahá, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu’l-Bahá Section, p. 233

18 February | p.m

…but when I shall come in my glory ye shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortality to immortality; and then shall ye be blessed in the kingdom of my Father.

- LDS (Mormon), The Book of Mormon

Oh, would that the world could believe Me! Were all the things that lie enshrined within the heart of Bahá, and which the Lord, His God, the Lord of all names, hath taught Him, to be unveiled to mankind, every man on earth would be dumbfounded.

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 176

18 February | a.m

O people of the earth! By the righteousness of the One true God, I am the Maid of Heaven begotten by the Spirit of Bahá, abiding within the Mansion hewn out of a mass of ruby, tender and vibrant; and in this mighty Paradise naught have I ever witnessed save that which proclaimeth the Remembrance of God by extolling the virtues of this Arabian Youth.

- The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, p. 54

In the year sixty [1260 A.H.] He Who heralded the light of Divine Guidance … arose to announce a fresh revelation of the Divine Spirit, and was followed, twenty years later, by Him through Whose coming the world was made the recipient of this promised glory, this wondrous favor. Behold how the generality of mankind hath been endued with the capacity to hearken unto God's most exalted Word - the Word upon which must depend the gathering together and spiritual resurrection of all men....

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 96

17 February | p.m

In that day also he (the Promised One) shall come even to thee from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea , and from mountain to mountain. Notwithstanding the land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings. Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old. According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvelous things.

- Micah 7:12

O thou who art reputed for thy learning! Bid men to do that which is praiseworthy, and be not of such as tarry. Observe thou with a keen eye. The Sun of Truth shineth resplendently, at the bidding of the Lord of the kingdom of utterance, and the King of the heaven of knowledge, above the horizon of the prison-city of ‘Akká. Repudiation hath not veiled it, and ten thousand hosts arrayed against it were powerless to withhold it from shining. Thou canst excuse thyself no longer. Either thou must recognize it, or - God forbid - arise and deny all the Prophets!

- Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 119

16 February | p.m

Perhaps I shall come when you are yet asleep, for the coming of the Son of man is like the coming of a thief.

- Cf. 1 Thess. 5:2;2 Pet. 3:10

For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night... But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day… Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

- KJB, Thessalonians 5:2

The True One is come evident as the shining sun; O pity that He should have come into the city of the blind!

- Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 161

17 February | a.m

When a thousand two hundred and some years have passed from the inception of the religion of the Arabian (Muhammad) and the overthrow of the kingdom of Iran and the degradation of the followers of My religion, a descendant of the Iranian kings (Baha'u'llah) will be raised up as a Prophet.

- ZOROASTER, Dinkird

It behoveth us, therefore, to make the utmost endeavor, that, by God's invisible assistance, these dark veils, these clouds of Heaven-sent trials, may not hinder us from beholding the beauty of His shining Countenance, and that we may recognize Him only by His own Self.

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 27

16 February | a.m

Ere long God will shine from the face of the Glory of the most Glorious with the name of Bahá on the day of absolute in the plain of Akka.

- A 1300 years old Islamic prophecy, quoted in Dala'il'u'l-Irfan

When the Day-Star of Bahá will shine resplendent above the horizon of eternity it is incumbent upon you to present yourselves before His Throne.

- The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, p. 164

Wert thou now to exert thyself, the truth of this Cause would be made apparent unto mankind, and the people would be delivered from this grievous and oppressive darkness. Who else but Bahá can speak forth before the face of men, and who else but He can have the power to pronounce that which He was bidden by God, the Lord of Hosts?

- Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 120

15 February | p.m

I am not the first Buddha who came upon earth, nor shall I be the last. In due time another Buddha will arise.... He shall reveal to you the same eternal truths which I have taught you. He will preach to you His religion, glorious in its origin, glorious at the climax and glorious at the goal, in the spirit and in the letter.

- Buddha, Baghavad Gita, quoted by A.Q Faizi in An Explanation of the Greatest Name, p. 4

Go thou straight on and persevere in His service. Say: O people! The Day, promised unto you in all the Scriptures, is now come. Fear ye God, and withhold not yourselves from recognizing the One Who is the Object of your creation. Hasten ye unto Him. Better is this for you than the world and all that is therein. Would that ye could perceive it!

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 314

15 February | a.m

But when one blast shall be blown on the trumpet, And the earth and the mountains shall be upheaved, and shall both be crushed into dust at a single crushing, On that day the woe that must come suddenly shall suddenly come, And the angels shall be on its sides, and over them on that day eight shall bear up the throne of thy Lord. On that day ye will be exposed; not a secret of you will be hidden.

- Qur’an, 69:13-17

The inevitable hath come to pass; witness how they have cast it behind their backs! This is the Day whereon every man will fly from himself, how much more from his kindred, could ye but perceive it. Say: By God! The blast hath been blown on the trumpet, and lo, mankind hath swooned away before us! The Herald hath cried out, and the Summoner raised His voice saying: "The Kingdom is God's, the Most Powerful, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 43

14 February | p.m

…whenever the world declineth in virtue and righteousness; and vice and injustice mount the throne, then come I, the Lord, and revisit My world in visible form, and mingle as a man with men, and by my influence and teachings do I destroy the evil and injustice, and re-establish virtue and righteousness. Many times have I thus appeared; many times hereafter shall I come again.

- Krishna, quoted in Thief in the Night, p. 60

Take heed lest ye hesitate in recognizing this resplendent Beauty when once He hath appeared in the plenitude of His sovereign might and majesty. He, verily, is the True One, and all else besides Him is as naught before a single one of His servants, and paleth into nothingness when brought face to face with the revelation of His splendours. Hasten, then, to attain the living waters of His grace, and be not of the negligent. As to him who hesitateth, though it be for less than a moment, God shall verily bring his works to naught and return him to the seat of wrath; wretched indeed is the abode of them that tarry!

- Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 54

14 February | a.m

I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when He, the Spirit of the Comforter, who is sent by the Father, is come, He will guide you into all truth.

- King James Bible, John 16:12

Say, Lo! The Father is come, and that which ye were promised in the Kingdom is fulfilled! This is the Word which the Son concealed, when to those around Him He said: 'Ye cannot bear it now.' And when the appointed time was fulfilled and the Hour had struck, the Word shone forth above the horizon of the Will of God. Beware, O followers of the Son, that ye cast it not behind your backs. Take ye fast hold of it. Better is this for you than all that ye possess.

- Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 11

11 February | a.m

Should the inebriation of the wine of My verses seize thee, and thou determinest to present thyself before the throne of thy Lord, the Creator of earth and heaven, make My love thy vesture and thy shield remembrance of Me, and thy provision reliance upon God, the Revealer of all power

- Baha'u'llah, The Proclamation of Baha'u'llah, p. 85

You have asked whether our prayers go beyond Bahá'u'lláh: It all depends whether we pray to Him directly and through Him to God. We may do both and also can pray directly to God, but our prayers would certainly be more effective and illuminating if they are addressed to Him through His Manifestation, Bahá'u'lláh.

- From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, October 14, 1937

If you find you need to visualize someone when you pray, think of the Master. Through Him you can address Bahá'u'lláh. Gradually try to think of the qualities of the Manifestation, and in that way a mental form will fade out, for after all the body is not the thing, His Spirit is there and is the essential, everlasting element.

- From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, January 31, 1959

10 February | p.m

Say, O My people! Show honour to your parents and pay homage to them. This will cause blessings to descend upon you from the clouds of the bounty of your Lord, the Exalted, the Great.

- Bahá’u’lláh, The Compilation of Compilations vol. I, p. 386

It is seemly that the servant should, after each prayer, supplicate God to bestow mercy and forgiveness upon his parents. Thereupon God's call will be raised: 'Thousand upon thousand of what thou hast asked for thy parents shall be thy recompense!' Blessed is he who remembereth his parents when communing with God. There is, verily, no God but Him, the Mighty, the Well-Beloved.

- The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, p. 94

10 February | a.m

Recite ye the verses of God every morn and eventide. Whoso faileth to recite them hath not been faithful to the Covenant of God and His Testament, and whoso turneth away from these holy verses in this Day is of those who throughout eternity have turned away from God. Fear ye God, O My servants, one and all.

- Baha'u'llah, The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 73

Supplicate to God, pray to Him and invoke Him at midnight and at dawn. Be humble and submissive to God and chant the verses of thanksgiving at morn and eve, for that He guided thee unto the Manifest Light and showed to thee the straight Path and destined to thee the station of nearness in His wonderful Kingdom.

- Abdu’l-Bahá, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu’l-Bahá Section, p. 359

9 February | p.m

Teach your children the verses revealed from the heaven of majesty and power, so that, in most melodious tones, they may recite the Tablets of the All-Merciful in the alcoves within the Mashriqu'l-Adhkars. Whoever hath been transported by the rapture born of adoration for My Name, the Most Compassionate, will recite the verses of God in such wise as to captivate the hearts of those yet wrapped in slumber.

- Baha'u'llah, The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 73

…pray always and so live your life that sorrow cannot touch you.

- Abdu’l-Bahá, Abdu’l-Bahá in London, p. 82

9 February | a.m

Whoso reciteth, in the privacy of his chamber, the verses revealed by God, the scattering angels of the Almighty shall scatter abroad the fragrance of the words uttered by his mouth, and shall cause the heart of every righteous man to throb. Though he may, at first, remain unaware of its effect, yet the virtue of the grace vouchsafed unto him must needs sooner or later exercise its influence upon his soul. Thus have the mysteries of the Revelation of God been decreed by virtue of the Will of Him Who is the Source of power and wisdom.

- Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 295

The reason why privacy hath been enjoined in moments of devotion is this, that thou mayest give thy best attention to the remembrance of God, that thy heart may at all times be animated with His Spirit, and not be shut out as by a veil from thy Best Beloved.

- The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, p. 93