"Service is prayer."
`Should Prayer take the form of an action?'
`Abdu'l-Baha has responded: "`Yes: In the Baha'i Cause arts, sciences and all crafts are (counted as) worship. The man who makes a piece of notepaper to the best of his ability, conscientiously, concentrating all his forces on perfecting it, is giving praise to God. Briefly, all effort and exertion put forth by man from the fullness of his heart is worship, if it is prompted by the highest motives and the will to do service to humanity. This is worship: to serve mankind and to minister to the needs of the people. Service is prayer."
This truth explained by `Abdu'l-Baha directs the seeking minds to a totally different sphere of understanding. It transforms what has frequently been thought perhaps to be only an imaginary, a binding but illusionary submission to an invisible source--out of fear, helplessness, lack of vision and perception, or just a naive notion of going with the flow and what was accepted by the common and popular--to a dynamic real force and energy, and to a new height of freedom and bliss. It uplifts the pondering souls to an understanding and knowledge which recognizes, willingly and progressively, through one's own volition and actual experience, of a magnificent Source of Power and Knowledge. Service could be said is the economy of appreciating and utilizing the Power of Divine assistance. Such power, however, will be drawn to anyone who with an independent spirit and vigilant mind, with a sincere heart and free soul converses with the One Beloved--Who is there, always, and is ever-Hearing, ever-Watchful. Prayer and service go hand in hand--and thus, it could be said that a simple daily act of worship and prayer which you and I may offer could bring down to the earth the heaven!
"If one friend loves another, is it not natural that he should wish to say so? Though he knows that the 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." (By Abdu'l-Baha, the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, no. 34, p. 12)
What better way of showing to God, and because of His love and out of His love to His people, that we truly and sincerely love, than directing its powers to guide our actions and by putting all our affection and sentiments for “service”, a service which would benefit everyone, whether young or old, whether poor or wealthy, whether ignorant or knowledgeable?
You are welcome to visit the recent posts on my two other blogs—English and bilingual—below:
Learning Felicityhttp://learningfelicity.blogspot.ca/
Timeless Treasures: Words with Meanings
http://timelesstreasureswordswithmeanings.blogspot.ca/
