ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Monite ‘Epeleli 2, 2018

Ko e lotú  ‘oku ‘ikai ko ha faka‘ali‘ali

(prayer is not a show)

Fehu‘i #39

Ko e hā ‘a e loto ‘oku totonu ke fai‘aki ‘etau lotú ?

Mei he loto ‘ofa, tuiaki mo e hounga‘ia, ‘i he fakatōkilalo mo e fakavaivai ki he finangalo ‘o e ‘Otuá, ‘i he ‘ilopau, koe‘uhí  ko Kalaisi, ‘oku ne ongona ma‘u pe ‘etau lotú.

With what attitude should we pray?

With love, perseverance, and gratefulness, in humble submission to God's will, knowing that, for the sake of Christ, he always hears our prayers.

FILIPAI 4:6

Neongo pe ko e hā ‘a e me‘a, ‘oua te mou lotomo‘ua ai; ka ‘i he me‘a kotoa pē tuku ke hā ki he ‘Otua ho‘omou ngaahi kole, ‘i he lotu mo e hūfia, pea fai mo e fakafeta‘i.

PHILIPPIANS 4:6

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Commentary - THABITI ANYABWILE

Hypocritical prayer is an oxymoron; hypocrisy and prayer just don't go together. Anything that we properly call prayer should be divorced from hypocrisy. The Lord teaches us this in the Gospels when he talks about those who pray for an audience; for them prayer is a show. And if you've been praying any length of time, you know that you don’t need an audience for your prayers to be a show. Sometimes we’re watching ourselves pray. We're admiring the eloquence of our appeal. We like the turn of phrase. So our prayer can go from being an act of communion with God to a demonstration of pride.

‘Oku ‘ikai ke tonu ‘etau ‘ai ‘a e fakalea, ko e lotu mālualoi; ko e mālualoí  mo e lotú  ‘oku ‘ikai totonu ke na ō fakataha kinaua. Ka ‘i ai pe ha me‘a te tau ui ko e lotu, ‘oku totonu ke mātu‘aki tu‘usi ‘aupito ia mei he mālualoí. ‘Oku akonaki‘i kitautolu ‘e he ‘Eikí  ‘i he Koosipelí  fekau‘aki mo e me‘a ni ‘i he‘ene fakamatala ki he fa‘ahinga ‘oku nau lotu ‘i he uhouhonga ‘o e kakaí;  ko e fa‘ahinga pehe ní, ‘oku hoko pe ‘a e lotú  ko e fo‘i faka‘ali‘ali. Pea kapau kuo ki‘i fuoloa ho‘o fai ‘a e lotú, ‘oku ke ‘osi a‘usia ‘a e me‘a ni – ‘oku ‘ikai toki fai pe ‘a e faka‘ali‘alí  ka ‘i ai ha kakai. Taimi ‘e ni‘ihi, ‘oku tau toe nofo hifo pe ‘oku siofi ‘etau to‘onga lotú. ‘Oku tau toe mālie‘ia pe ‘i he‘etau tufunga leá. ‘Oku mālie mo e ngaahi kupu‘i lotú.  Pea kuo hiki leva ‘a e lotú  mei tu‘unga totonú, ko e feohi mo e ‘Otuá, ‘o hoko pe ia ko ha faka‘ali‘ali ‘o ‘etau mo‘ui ‘afungí.