ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 PULELULU ME 20, 2026

NEHEMAIA 1-3; MATIU 6:5-13 

It is important to know that the power of prayer is not in the beauty of the words you pray, but in the character of the one to whom you pray.

‘Oku mahu’inga ke tau mahino’i, ko e ivi ‘o e lotus, ‘oku ‘ikai ‘i he faka’ofo’ofa ‘o e ngaahi lea ‘oku tau ngaue’aki, ka ‘oku makatu’unga ‘i he ‘ulungaanga ‘o e Tokotaha ‘oku tau lotu ki ai.

You might think that the better your theology and phraseology in prayer, the better chance you have of getting a hearing. Prayer is not about proving yourself to God. It is not about establishing worthiness. Prayer is about what the Puritans called "importunity," that is, poverty of spirit. It is coming to God acknowledging that he has every right not to hear me, that my only hope is found in the bounty of his love and the extent of his mercy. The power of prayer is not in the beauty of my language or in my track record of righteousness, but in the character of the one to whom I pray. He hears me with ears of redeeming love-love that I could never earn, achieve, or deserve. We are not called to clean ourselves up so we can pray. No, we are called to pray, asking God to continue his work of cleaning us up.

Hear the words of Nehemiah's prayer in the face of the destruction of Jerusalem:

As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. And I said, "O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father's house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there. They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man." (Neh. 1:4-11)

Nehemiah knows he cannot commend God's people to God based on their righteousness, so he confesses sin on their behalf and appeals to God's character and covenant promises. When we pray, may we do the same, knowing that the power of prayer is found in the glory and grace of the one to whom we pray.