This is the prayer that has been passed down from generation to generation. It has been said this prayer works even if you are not religious. It is an Oahu local saying, written by a Professor of Hawaii Studies at the University of Hawaii, Lois Kamalu Monson. She published it for the first time in her book ‘E Ku’u Morning Dew: Hawaiian Prayers and Poems’. The prayer has been reprinted in numerous articles and books since.
This Hawaiian prayer for strength is one that many Hawaiians have grown up hearing. This prayer is a blessing and a request for strength. It is also referred to as the “Makahiki Hymn” and “Pu’uloa.” It can be used in a variety of situations, including when you feel weak, when you need to be strong, or when you are facing something difficult.
Hawaiian Prayers for Strength
Here are nine powerful Hawaiian prayers for strength that can bring comfort and peace in times of need:
1
“E Ala E” – This prayer is a call to awaken and rise up with strength and courage. It is a reminder that we have the inner power to face whatever challenges come our way.
2
“Kū Ha’aheo” – This prayer acknowledges the sovereignty and divine power within us, empowering us to stand tall and face adversity with grace and strength.
3
“Kūkākūkā” – This prayer asks for clarity of mind and guidance in making decisions, giving us the strength to choose the right path.
4
“Ho’oponopono” – This prayer is a practice of forgiveness and reconciliation, giving us the strength to let go of past hurt and move forward with a clean heart.
5
“Maika’i No” – This prayer is a reminder of the goodness within us, giving us the strength to always choose love and kindness in our actions.
6
“Kia’i Ka Mana” – This prayer calls upon the guardians of strength and protection to watch over us and give us the courage to face any challenges that come our way.
7
“Nāueue” – This prayer asks for strength in times of change and uncertainty, reminding us that we have the resilience to weather any storm that comes our way.
8
“Ho’onani I Ka Makua” – This prayer honors the divine source of strength within us, reminding us that we are never alone and always supported in our journey.
9
“Ho’omana’o” – This prayer calls upon the power of remembrance, giving us the strength to recall our inner wisdom and face challenges with clarity and purpose.
| Prayer | Meaning |
|---|---|
| E Ala E | Awaken and rise up with strength |
| Kū Ha’aheo | Acknowledge sovereignty and divine power |
| Kūkākūkā | Ask for clarity of mind and guidance |
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9
Hawaiian Prayer For Strength
The Power Of Wholeness And Healing: Ho’oponopono
There are many manifestations of this rich and extraordinary tradition and expression of community based restorative justice that is held as essential to health and healing physical illness as well as relationships. In contemporary times, a simple but profound mantra arising from this practice has been found to have a powerful healing energy. It offers the essence of Compassion in Action and arises from the deepest principle of our inter-connectedness, our inter-being, such that no matter what has happened, I am part of it and thus share responsibility.
You may have heard the story about a Hawaiian therapist, Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len, who cured an entire ward of criminally insane patients, without ever meeting any of them or spending a moment in the same room. When he arrived at the residential treatment center, the cure rates were abysmal, morale very low, employee turnover very high. Dr. Len locked himself in his office day after day as to the consternation of the staff… But after some weeks, things began to change, patients were getting better, morale was improving. How had he done this? He reviewed each of the patients’ files, and then he healed them by healing himself with this mantra. It seems miracles do happen when you use this method, which Dr. Len calls Self I-Dentity Through Ho’oponopono (SITH).
There are four simple steps to this method, and the order is not that important. They involve the power of Repentance, Forgiveness, Gratitude and Love. Here I have adapted a great description from an open source (Laughter Online University):
Step 1: Repentance – I’M SORRY
This tradition holds that you are responsible for everything in your mind, even if it seems to be “out there.” Once you realize that, it’s very natural to feel sorry. …This realization can be painful, and you will likely resist accepting responsibility for the “out there” kind of problems until you start to practice this method on your more obvious “in here” problems and see results.
So you could choose something that you already know you’ve caused for yourself: Over-weight? Addicted to nicotine, alcohol or some other substance? Do you have anger issues? Health problems? Start there and say you’re sorry. That’s the whole step: I’M SORRY. Underneath you are saying, “I realize that I am responsible for the (issue) in my life and I feel terrible remorse that something in my consciousness has caused this.”
Step 2: Ask Forgiveness – PLEASE FORGIVE ME
Don’t worry about who you’re asking. Just ask! PLEASE FORGIVE ME. Say it over and over. Mean it. Remember your remorse from step 1 as you ask to be forgiven.
Step 3: Gratitude – THANK YOU
Say “THANK YOU” – again it doesn’t really matter who or what you’re thanking. Thank your body for all it does for you. Thank yourself for being the best you can be. Thank God. Thank the Universe. Thank whatever it was that just forgave you. Just keep saying THANK YOU.
Step 4: Love – I LOVE YOU
This can also be step 1. Say I LOVE YOU. Say it to your body, say it to God. Say I LOVE YOU to the air you breathe, to the house that shelters you. Say I LOVE YOU to your challenges. Say it over and over. Mean it. Feel it. There is nothing as powerful as Love.
How I like to do this mantra practice: Call to mind a relationship where you would like to bring forgiveness and healing, with a deeper connection of ease between you. (It could be with your self) First take a few moments to center; bring the breath to your heart; imagine a golden light infusing your heart with compassion, gratitude and love – for yourself and for all the wonders in your life. Now picture the person in front of you and imagine this golden light overflowing and pouring out to them as you begin the mantra, repeating over and over, from your heart to theirs:
I’m sorry.
Please forgive me.
Thank you.
I love you.
When I posted this on our Compassionate Listening list some years ago– several moving stories surfaced:
“I had an experience of this recently. I was thinking about how I wronged someone 14 years ago, and internally apologizing to that person for what I put him through…fully acknowledging my part and all of the pain that I created. It brought tears to my eyes, realizing the scope of my actions and how sorry I felt in my heart. I thought about calling the person to apologize, but just kept offering my silent apology… Three hours later, that very person walked into my house with a gift for me. I was so amazed…and the timing was so profound that there was no way I could accept it as a coincidence. I think this teaching is profound – thanks for sending it to us Susan. Anyone else had a recent experience along these lines?”
“I ‘tried this out’ in regard to someone with whom I have had a broken relationship for over ten years. It was my ex-husband and I’ve had no contact whatsoever with him all this time. After I read your posting, I decided to try it and meditated about him with the “I love you, I’m sorry….” That evening, I told another friend that I wished there could be some kind of resolution to this very painful situation. Next morning, I awoke early from a dream about him, the only one I’ve ever had. We were returning to the place where we lived, and he said to me very clearly, “I love you more than ever.” The house was by the sea, and I saw water, gently flowing in and out of the room. That was the end of the dream. A couple of hours later, I got up to read my email, and received notice of his death. I am simply stunned by the power of opening the heart this way. Thank you again for sharing this!”
Another one of our facilitators spent time with the Ho’oponopono mantra and called to mind a relationship that had ended and they were having a tough time. She spent some time with the mantra and it felt good and right in her heart. The next day, out of the clear blue, this man showed up at her doorstep with a bouquet of flowers, to say hello and make an attempt to heal.
Please give this a try! Personally I have practiced many times. I can’t report any dramatic or overt benefit, but it softens and opens my heart. Do let us know how it works for you.
From Wikipedia: “Hoʻoponopono” is defined in the Hawaiian Dictionary as:
(a) “To put to rights; to put in order or shape, correct, revise, adjust, amend, regulate, arrange, rectify, tidy up make orderly or neat, administer, superintend, supervise, manage, edit, work carefully or neatly; to make ready, as canoemen preparing to catch a wave.”
(b) “Mental cleansing: family conferences in which relationships were set right (hoʻoponopono) through prayer, discussion, confession, repentance, and mutual restitution and forgiveness.” [13]
Literally, hoʻo is a particle used to make an actualizing verb from the following noun. Here, it creates a verb from the noun pono, which is defined as: “…goodness, uprightness, morality, moral qualities, correct or proper procedure, excellence, well-being, prosperity, welfare, benefit, true condition or nature, duty; moral, fitting, proper, righteous, right, upright, just, virtuous, fair, beneficial, successful, in perfect order, accurate, correct, eased, relieved; should, ought, must, necessary.”[13]
Ponopono is defined as “to put to rights; to put in order or shape, correct, revise, adjust, amend, regulate, arrange, rectify, tidy up, make orderly or neat.”
Hawaiian Prayer For Healing
HO’OPONOPONO FOR SELF FORGIVENESS
To practice ho’oponopono, take a few deep breaths with your eyes closed. Then, slowly repeat these phrases to yourself about 7 or 8 times. (“I’m sorry, Please forgive me, Thank you, I love you… I’m sorry, Please forgive me, Thank you, I love you“— and so on.)
End with a few moments of silence to let the message resonate. Open your eyes. How do you feel?
Hooponopono Prayer
The ho’oponopono prayer goes like this:
“I’m sorry, Please forgive me, Thank you, I love you.”
That’s it. And isn’t that something we all need to hear? “I’m sorry, Please forgive me, Thank you, I love you.” It’s very touching, especially given how simple and universal these words are.
With regular practice, reciting these four simple phrases helps develop self-love and self-esteem at the times when we need it most. In this way, it’s both a lullaby to the self and a guaranteed insightful way to approach forgiving other people.
Part of the reason why this traditional Hawaiian forgiveness prayer is so powerful is that it first requires you to acknowledge that wrong was done by saying you’re sorry.
Having other people acknowledge our feelings is a universal need; in ho’oponopono, you must first acknowledge that wrongdoing exists, which is a way of acknowledging these feelings. Only then will it be possible to find it in your heart to forgive someone else, or yourself.
In the final step, you acknowledge love– both for yourself, and others.
Most people, when attempting to forgive either others or themselves, make the mistake of thinking that forgiveness = total absolution, or an erasing of the wrongdoing. This is ultimately futile because it ignores hurt feelings, which inevitably bubble back up later if they are not addressed.