The Lord’s Prayer Explained by Mary Baker Eddy

Lords Prayer Mary Baker EddyMary Baker Eddy (1821-1910) was founder of the Christian Science movement, which become popular in the latter part of the 19th century—and today maintains over 1,700 affiliated churches around the world. While we at Living Hour don’t consider ourselves Christian Scientists (with a capital S), we are strong believers that progressive Christianity can exist side by side with science, as you can read in our post on the great Jesuit priest and scientist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.

While we don’t prescribe to all the tenants of Christian Science, as laid out by Mary Baker Eddy, we do admire her work and the indefatigable spirit she brought to her calling as a progressive Christian. One of our favorite Mary Baker Eddy quotes is on the subject of prayer: “True prayer is not asking God for love; it is learning to love, and to include all mankind in one affection. Prayer is the utilization of the love wherewith He loves us.”

Mary Baker Eddy also wrote a brief interpretation of the Lord’s Prayer, which appears in her classic work Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. In her commentary, she provides line by line her “spiritual understanding” of the Our Father Prayer.

The Our Father Prayer Explained by Mary Baker Eddy

Our Father which art in heaven,

Our Father-Mother God, all-harmonious,

Hallowed be Thy name.

Adorable One.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy kingdom is come; Thou art ever-present.

Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Enable us to know, — as in heaven, so on earth, — God is omnipotent, supreme.

Give us this day our daily bread;

Give us grace for to-day; feed the famished affections;

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And Love is reflected in love;

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil;

And God leadeth us not into temptation, but delivereth

us from sin, disease, and death.

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.

For God is infinite, all-power, all Life, Truth, Love,

over all, and All.

———

If you enjoy the writings of Mary Baker Eddy, we encourage you to read the Living Hour’s contemporary interpretation of the Our Father Prayer at: The Lord’s Prayer Meaning. Our original commentary on prayer finds inspiration from many philosophies & literary sources, in addition to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.



The Living Hour