Meditation Groups · Prayer Groups
Prayer gatherings
Simple, informal gatherings where people come together to pray and read from sacred texts. Everyone is welcome.
About prayer gatherings
Gatherings where anyone may experience the sweetness of prayer and commune with God in the loving company of others.
The format
What is a prayer gathering?
Baha'is commonly gather with their friends and prayers to offer prayers. These meetings, called devotional gatherings, are held in community centers or in one another's homes and consist largely of reading prayers and passages from holy scriptures in an informal, yet respectful, atmosphere. Uplifting music and song are often included. There are no rituals; no individual has a special role. These simple gatherings bring people of all backgrounds and beliefs together in prayer and generate a unifying spirit that begins to permeate the community.
The spirit of fellowship and harmony that binds us all together is strengthened through acts of worship like these. Baha'is consider daily prayer as essential for spiritual sustenance and growth, just as food is essential for physical sustenance. Through prayer, one praises God, expresses love for Him, or beseeches Him for insight or assistance.
When people have just shared a spiritually heightened experience together — when hearts have been softened and the ordinary social barriers have dropped — the conversations that follow take on a different quality. Questions that rarely surface in daily life come naturally to the foreground: questions about meaning, purpose, the nature of the soul. Praying together helps us recognize the nobility and dignity in others and have more meaningful conversations that overcome artificial barriers.
In your neighborhood
Something deeper
than conversation
Gatherings meet in living rooms, community centers, and gardens across the Boston area. The setting is intimate and familiar — a space where the atmosphere itself invites reflection.
Some gatherings draw from prayers of many faith traditions. Others focus on the Baha'i writings. All are open to anyone who longs for something beyond the material. You don't need to pray aloud, recite anything, or do anything other than be present.
Find a gathering near you
Prayer in the Baha'i Faith
Conversation with God
Baha'is understand prayer as conversation with God. And this conversation has real power. It creates spirituality, stirs celestial feelings, and awakens what the writings call "the susceptibilities of the higher intelligence."
The writings describe prayer plainly:
a fire that will burn away the veils which have shut me out from Thy beauty, and a light that will lead me unto the ocean of Thy Presence. — Baha'u'llah
Every Baha'i prays on their own during the day. They also gather often to pray together.
Common questions
Questions people ask
What is Baha'i prayer?
Baha'is generally pray using prayers revealed by Baha'u'llah, the Bab, and Abdu'l-Baha. Baha'is understand these as God's own language for speaking with Him, which is why they carry a particular potency. But Baha'is are also free to speak with God in their own words.
How do Baha'is pray in such gatherings?
People take turns reciting prayers aloud, one at a time, as they feel moved to. Some recite from memory, others read from a prayer book, and there is quiet between readings. No one leads, and no one is required to take a turn. The focus is on speaking with God, not on the reading itself.
What's a typical format for a prayer gathering?
Someone hosts, usually in their home, and opens with a welcome. The prayers themselves last 30 to 60 minutes, with silence between readings, and most gatherings stay together afterward for tea, food, and conversation. There is no sermon and no fixed order.
Do I need to believe in the Baha'i Faith to attend?
No. Gatherings are open to everyone, and most include people who are not Baha'i. You don't need to know anything about the Baha'i Faith, and no one will ask you to accept any belief. If you're not sure what you believe, you're still welcome; honest questioning is respected here.
Is this similar to a meditation circle?
In some ways. Gatherings have a contemplative quality, with silence between readings, and some people come mainly for the quiet. The focus, though, is on prayer, specifically speaking with God through revealed prayers, rather than silent meditation. If you're drawn to mindfulness or meditation, you may find the atmosphere resonant, though the practice is different.
Can I host a prayer gathering myself?
Yes. Gatherings are hosted by community members and friends in their own homes, and you don't need to be Baha'i to host one. If you'd like to start one, reach out and someone from the community will help you plan it.
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Find a prayer gathering near you
Tell us a little about yourself and we'll connect you with a gathering in your area. No commitment required. Come once and see if it feels right.
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