Title: A Cycle of Nine Sonnets in Reverent Contemplation of the Lord’s Prayer, from Hallowed Name to Eternal Amen

Inspiration: The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13, KJV), divided into nine phrases:

1. Our Father which art in heaven
2. Hallowed be thy name
3. Thy kingdom come
4. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven
5. Give us this day our daily bread
6. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors
7. And lead us not into temptation
8. But deliver us from evil
9. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen

Structure:

• Nine Sonnets: One sonnet per phrase, creating a cohesive cycle that traces the prayer’s spiritual arc from adoration to supplication to praise.
• Form: Each sonnet is a Shakespearean sonnet (14 lines, iambic pentameter, rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG).
• Tone: Reverent, contemplative, and devotional, inviting deep reflection on the prayer’s theological and emotional resonance.

Themes and Content:

• The series explores the prayer’s core themes: God’s fatherhood, holiness, sovereignty, human dependence, forgiveness, guidance, protection, and eternal glory.
• Imagery (e.g., light, thrones, manna, shields) blends biblical motifs with human experience, grounding spiritual truths in relatable terms.
• Each sonnet meditates on its phrase’s significance:

1. God’s intimate yet transcendent fatherhood.
2. The sanctity of God’s name.
3. Longing for divine justice and rule.
4. Submission to God’s perfect will.
5. Trust in God’s daily provision.
6. The cycle of receiving and giving forgiveness.
7. Seeking strength against sin’s allure.
8. Deliverance from spiritual and moral evil.
9. Celebrating God’s eternal dominion, sealed with “Amen.”

Title Significance:

• Cycle: Highlights the interconnected nine-part structure.
• Reverent Contemplation: Reflects the meditative, worshipful tone.
• From Hallowed Name to Eternal Amen: Captures the prayer’s journey from sanctifying God’s name to affirming His eternal glory.

Purpose: The series serves as both a poetic and spiritual work, suitable for devotional reading, literary appreciation, or performance, inviting readers to engage deeply with the Lord’s Prayer through verse.

Inspired by Matthew 6:9-13 (KJV)

Sonnet 1: Our Father which art in heaven

O Father, seated high in realms of light,
Our voices rise to call Thee ours, divine,
Thy love descends through everlasting night,
To claim us children of Thy grand design.
In heaven’s courts, where angels sing Thy praise,
Thy throne eternal radiates with grace,
Yet near Thou art, through all our fleeting days,
A parent’s heart within a sacred place.
No distant king, but kin to mortal clay,
Thou formed our souls and bid them seek Thy face,
In prayer we find Thee, never far away,
Thy boundless mercy fills the heart’s embrace.
Our Father, let us rest in Thee above,
And know Thy name as shelter, home, and love.

Sonnet 2: Hallowed be thy name

Thy name, O Lord, is holy, set apart,
A sacred flame that burns through worldly shame,
It echoes pure within the contrite heart,
And bids the soul to glorify Thy fame.
No tongue can taint what heaven holds so dear,
Thy title shines beyond our fleeting strife,
Yet we, on earth, with reverence draw near,
To guard Thy name in every deed of life.
From profane lips, we seek to keep it free,
With psalms and prayers, we lift it to the skies,
Each act of love a hallowing decree,
That bids Thy glory in our hearts arise.
O let Thy name be sanctified anew,
In all we say, and all we strive to do.

Sonnet 3: Thy kingdom come

We cry for heaven’s reign to rend the skies,
Thy kingdom come, O Lord, with justice swift,
To heal the earth where sorrow’s shadow lies,
And raise the lowly with Thy holy gift.
No mortal crown can match Thy righteous rule,
Where peace and truth in harmony abide,
We long for Thee to make all things anew,
And dry the tears that human hands have cried.
In hearts and nations, let Thy throne descend,
Break chains of sin, let mercy’s banner wave,
With fervent prayer, we seek Thy will to bend,
The world to Thee, its Maker and its grave.
O haste the day when every knee shall bow,
And Thy great kingdom dawns upon us now.

Sonnet 4: Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven

As angels bow in heaven’s radiant sphere,
Obeying Thee with swift and joyful might,
So teach us, Lord, to seek Thy will sincere,
And walk in truth beneath Thy holy sight.
On earth, where wayward hearts so often stray,
We crave Thy guidance, steady as the stars,
To bend our wills to Thine in all our days,
And bear Thy purpose through our mortal scars.
No rebel thought shall sever us from Thee,
Thy perfect will our refuge and our call,
In every deed, let heaven’s pattern be,
The mirror of Thy glory over all.
O let Thy will on earth be done, we pray,
As seraphs serve in everlasting day.

Sonnet 5: Give us this day our daily bread

Each morn Thy hand provides our humble feast,
O Lord, who fed the thousands by Thy word,
Our daily bread, from Thee, is grace released,
Sustaining life where want and fear are stirred.
No storehouse holds the wealth we truly need,
Thy manna falls anew with every dawn,
In simple trust, we find our souls are freed,
To lean on Thee till earthly cares are gone.
Not bread alone, but Christ, the living spring,
Who fills the heart with nourishment divine,
We seek Thy gifts, and to Thy table bring,
Our grateful hearts, forever wholly Thine.
This day, O God, our every need supply,
And teach us trust beneath Thy watchful sky.

Sonnet 6: And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors

Our debts, O Lord, like chains, our souls confine,
Yet in Thy mercy, Thou dost set us free,
Forgive our sins, as we, with hearts divine,
Release the wrongs that others wrought to thee.
No grudge shall bind what grace has torn apart,
Thy pardon flows where human wrath would reign,
We mirror Thee, and cleanse the bitter heart,
To loose the debtor from his guilty pain.
O teach us, Lord, to give as we receive,
To break the cycle of our vengeful ways,
In love’s embrace, let enmity bereave,
And heal the wounds of unforgiving days.
Thy mercy grants us liberty to live,
As we forgive, so may we be forgiven.

Sonnet 7: And lead us not into temptation

The paths of sin allure with fleeting gleam,
Yet Thou, O Lord, dost guide our faltering feet,
Lead us from snares that hide in every dream,
Where tempters weave their lies in soft deceit.
Our hearts are frail, too swift to chase the flame,
That burns but leaves us empty, lost, and torn,
We seek Thy strength to shun the serpent’s claim,
And walk the way where righteousness is born.
No trial’s power can break Thy steadfast hand,
That holds us firm when shadows bid us stray,
In every test, Thy wisdom helps us stand,
And keeps our souls upon the narrow way.
O lead us, Lord, where temptation shall cease,
And fill our hearts with Thy eternal peace.

Sonnet 8: But deliver us from evil

From evil’s grasp, O Lord, our souls redeem,
Its darkness creeps to bind us in despair,
Yet Thou, our shield, dost shatter every scheme,
And guard Thy flock with providential care.
The foe unseen, with malice ever near,
Would steal our hope and draw us to the night,
But in Thy name, we rise above our fear,
And find deliverance in Thy holy light.
No power of hell can stand against Thy might,
Thy cross has crushed the adversary’s reign,
In Thee, we triumph through the fiercest fight,
And claim the victory that shall remain.
O save us, Lord, from evil’s cruel intent,
And keep us safe till heaven’s veil is rent.

Sonnet 9: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen

All glory, power, and kingdom, Thine alone,
Eternal God, whose reign shall never fade,
Thy sovereignty o’er every heart and throne,
Is sung by saints in light that never wanes.
No rival claims the honor due to Thee,
Thy might upholds the heavens and the earth,
Forevermore, Thy name shall hallowed be,
The source of life, the fount of endless worth.
We join the chorus of the heavenly host,
To laud Thy majesty with fervent voice,
In every age, Thy praise shall be our boast,
And in Thy will, our souls shall e’er rejoice.
Amen, we cry, let earth and sky proclaim,
Thine is the glory, evermore the same.