Emmet Fox’s Metaphysical Interpretation of The Lord’s Prayer

For those of you who pray the Lord’s prayer or the Our Father, this is a summation of Emmett Fox’s interpretation of the prayer. It is a metaphysical interpretation and explores the inner meaning behind the great Affirmation. When stating any prayer, it is vital to put thought and feeling into every word. It’s what makes prayers and affirmations work. We have to put the power of our thought into them. Jesus stated that we should not pray in vain repetition. Oftentimes, we find ourselves mindlessly repeating a prayer that will have no effect. What I am going to do now is to give the main points of Emmet Fox’s interpretation. I designed this to be a quick refresher to help us put our thought and emotion into our affirmations. Especially this one. I would, of course, read or listen to Fox’s entire interpretation from time to time, which is linked to below. But many of us have busy lives and I know this will be helpful for me. So, let’s get into it.

The Great Prayer is a compact formula for the development of the soul. It covers the whole of spiritual life. Its construction is beyond genius, and it is timeless. There are 7 clauses. The first being:

“Our Father:” The nature and character of the God is as a personal loving father. God is no tyrant, and he is not capricious. As God is our father, it means not only that he loves us unconditionally, but we are in his image. Jesus states God is Spirit. As children, we have inherited his ability to mentally or spiritually create in the universe around us through our thoughts. As he is our father, it also shows the brotherhood of all men.

The second clause is: “Which Art in Heaven”. God is in heaven, as man is on earth. Heaven being perfect absolute being. Earth represents manifestation in this case. It is man’s job to manifest the perfection of heaven and God here on this plane. God is the cause; man is the manifestation. God and man are one, but not one in the same. They each have a role. We need to accept the great cause with love.

The Third clause is: “Hallowed be Thy Name”. Hallowed means holy, whole, wholesome, and heal or healed. Hallowed is perfection. God is the perfect cause we should all be attempting to manifest. God does not bring anything negative or evil into our lives. That is not his nature. We bring negativity by thinking sickness or trouble and giving them power. Only give power to the ultimate good and it will have a wonderful effect on your life.

The fourth clause is: “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done, In Earth as it is in Heaven.” Again, Heaven is perfection. God did not create us as automatons but gave his children free will as any loving father would do. We are individualized expressions of God. In the perfect template of heaven, God has our perfect place. That is what we must try to bring forth here on this plane of existence. It is the entrance to the kingdom of heaven to bring your part of the perfect heavenly template into manifestation. Find your gift and use it on this earth. Your gift is what you are best at and do most easily. God is bringing his perfect Kingdom; bring your part today.

The Fifth clause is: “Give us this day our daily bread.” We are children of God, and he will supply us with all we need. We simply need to ask with love. Bread is not merely material food but all things that are required to make us happy, healthy, and free. It is God’s will that we live in harmony and joyously develop into higher beings. If you make your source of supply God, and not some job or position, you will never want. The most important inner meaning of bread in the prayer is that we have the realization of God daily. This is the bread of life. It is the nourishment of the soul and the key to happiness. Live in the present off of the bread of life.

The sixth clause is “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespassed against us.” Having told us what God is, what man is, and how the universe works through manifestation, Jesus describes how to nourish our souls through the forgiveness of sins. Sins are simply mistakes and a sense of separation of God. These mistakes or sins have a negative impact on us subconsciously and metaphysically. We are all part of the Great Cause or God the father. To hurt one is to hurt all and to hurt ourselves. Even though we make mistakes, as long as we forgive the other parts of the whole, we will be forgiven and let free to live. Forgiving others overrules the law of Karma and brings balance and harmony to our lives. Our thoughts shape our lives, so think positively to get positive outcomes.

The seventh and final clause is: “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” Again, the Lord’s prayer is a manual for the development of the soul. Jesus knew that once we start on the spiritual path and begin to comprehend spiritual law, there would be perils and difficulties. Spiritual growth and the knowledge that our thoughts have power will give us a better command over our environment. But as that power can be used for good in your life, it can also cause evil. As you become more sensitive and powerful, you have to be more careful not to transgress the law. So, this is a continuous affirmation of guidance from the loving father. Put your heart and soul into it, and you will be fine. Nothing by any means shall hurt us, Christ will be with us always.