Do not let sin reign in your body. You do not have to continue this sin, though all Christians fail out of inbred weakness. When you sin, repent immediately of your disobedience and continue in your affection for God. Don’t let sin have one hour of your time. Destroy it by the weapons of repentance and faith. 

But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” Revelation‬ ‭2:4-5‬ ‭ESV‬‬
Are you and those who are with you dangerously close to experiencing this judgment? Is the Light of God’s presence dim, almost imperceptible? Do you have form without power and activity without fruit? If so, Christ says you must . . .
Remember
Using a few key words and phrases, indicate what it was like in the time of your purest and most sincere affection for Christ. Think about habits, feelings, attitudes, liberties and effectiveness.
Repent
Write out the habitual sins of your life and those acts against others that have not been dealt with in humility and honesty. Carefully consider the sins listed below and ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to all areas of disobedience. Pray for the grace to sincerely and deeply change both heart and actions. Do not stop short in your evaluation. And do not be deceived. Anyone can name his sins, but those God uses most determine to stop their sinful activity, right every wrong, and walk in obedience. This God-given determination and true hatred of each sin is biblical repentance.
Read over the list below carefully. Mark items which need further reflection as you are writing out your sins. (If in a group, a leader may read this section out loud slowly while the group contemplates and makes a list.)
Are there sins of pride, preoccupation with appearance or status, always having your own way, drawing of attention to yourself in conversation, self-pity, forgetfulness and inconsideration of others due to self-absorption? Do you act as if you know everything? Is there rebellion, willfulness, stubbornness, haughtiness, pouting, and over-sensitivity, or a despising of the authorities God has placed in your life? Has bitterness, anger, rudeness, or a sharpness of speech toward others entered in? Is there lack of love? Have you left relationships unmended? Have you been unforgiving?
Are there sins of speech, such as coarse jesting, filthy language, crudeness, slang unbecoming a child of God, undue pessimism in light of God’s goodness, judging of others? Are you materialistic, always concerned with your money and possessions, lusting for more and more, insistent upon having the latest and the best, discontent with what God has given, ungrateful? Are you dishonest, telling half-truths in order to appear better than you are?
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Talking to God…You would think it would be simple, right?  Yet, we struggle.  We don’t know what to say/ask.  We fall asleep or our minds wander.  We struggle to be discipled to pray every day, much less “without ceasing”!  We are unsure, not knowing if God is listening or if He will hear and answer.  It is good know that the LORD Jesus has given us guidance! 

What is prayer?

 Prayer is talking to God.[i]
 A solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or an object of worship.[ii]
Prayer is spiritual communication between man and God, a two-way relationship in which man should not only talk to God but also listen to Him. Prayer to God is like a child’s conversation with his father. It is natural for a child to ask his father for the things he needs.[iii]
Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.[iv]

Talking to God…You would think it would be simple, right?  Yet, we struggle.  We don’t know what to say/ask.  We fall asleep or our minds wander.  We struggle to be discipled to pray every day, much less “without ceasing”!  We are unsure, not knowing if God is listening or if He will hear and answer.  It is good know that the LORD Jesus has given us guidance!  Luke records a time when Jesus had been praying…
Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread, 4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.”[v]
One of the disciples (who had likely been observing Jesus in prayer) asks Jesus to teach them to pray.  Jesus gives His disciples a guide, we know it as “the LORD’s prayer”.  These verses are not a mantra to repeat or a formulaic address to God that we borrow so that we have the right words.  No, Jesus is answering a request for instruction, he is teaching the disciples “how” to pray.  We might say these short verses give us Jesus’s guide to prayer.  Jesus give us:
A way to address God: “Our Father”
This is followed by five topics or petitions:[vi]

Hallowed by your name.
Your Kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
Forgive us our sins
Lead us not into temptation.

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Written by David T. Crum |
Monday, February 20, 2023
Adhering to the Providence of the Lord protects you. It forces you to put yourself outside the situation and strongly submit to the Lord’s will. It often rocks our souls and challenges our thoughts, but the assurance it provides allows us to rejoice that we have a Savior who will care for us every step of the way, even into death.

When struck by friendly fire at the Battle of Chancellorsville, Stonewall Jackson remarked, “Why, gentlemen, be quiet. Don’t be bothered. If I live, it’ll be for the best, and if I die, it’ll be for the best. God knows and directs all things for the best for those whose trust is in Him, and my trust is in Him.”[i] Such a reaction should not surprise the reader if they know anything about Jackson and his faith. He firmly adhered to the Providence of God, knowing his life was in the hands of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
If one word summarizes Jackson’s theological beliefs, it is likely Providence. The general constantly wrote of the Lord’s will, ways, and sovereignty. He also reassured his men, when in battle, that they should have comfort in Divine Providence regardless of the outcome. Many theologians of his time taught similar concepts. William S. Plumer wrote, “Providence is the care of God over his creatures. God’s works of Providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures and all their actions.”[ii] He added, “To deny Providence is as truly atheistic as to deny God’s existence. One who neither sees, nor hears, nor knows, nor cares, nor helps, nor saves, is no God at all.”[iii]
You cannot appreciate the comfort and peace of God’s Providence if you do not know the Lord. Providence is the reason we have understanding; it accounts for the ability to ponder on the will of the Lord versus that of our fleshly desires. Granted, this concept of divine intervention or spiritual care is foreign to the unbeliever, but it lays the foundation of the faith for the faithful servant of Christ. The idea challenges our worldview and philosophical thought and provides eternal peace to believers like Jackson. On such peace, Archibald Alexander taught, “It is a sweet and gentle stream which flows from the fountain of life beneath his throne. Happy is he who has received this heavenly gift; it will, in the midst of external storms and troubles, preserve his mind in a tranquil state.”[iv] Undoubtedly, this is the peace Jackson felt when unaware of his fate. Struck three times and bleeding profusely, he maintained peace through comfort in his Providential Savior. It is easy to say that we accept complete Providence or submit to the sovereign will of God, but it is much more challenging to act in such a way when faced with such confusion and pain. However, with genuine belief and reliance on the Lord’s will, the heavenly peace Christ provides makes such unbearable situations possible to endure.
Adhering to the Providence of the Lord protects you. It forces you to put yourself outside the situation and strongly submit to the Lord’s will. It often rocks our souls and challenges our thoughts, but the assurance it provides allows us to rejoice that we have a Savior who will care for us every step of the way, even into death. Charles Hodge wrote, “The Bible no less clearly teaches that God exercises a controlling power over the free acts of men as well as over their external circumstances. This is true of all their acts, good and evil.”[v] He added, “All Christians believe that the hearts of men are in the hand of God, that He works in them both to will and to do according to His good pleasure.”[vi] We have comfort in our Lord, who oversees every good and bad situation. The mere idea of Providence requires the most sincere, earnest submission, relying strictly on the Lord in all of life’s affairs.
Upon his initial injury, Jackson survived surgery in which his arm was amputated, but a few days later he succumbed to death caused by infection and fever. In one of his last words to his wife, Anna, Jackson stated, “I know you would gladly give your life for me, but I am perfectly resigned. Do not be sad. I hope I may yet recover. Pray for me, but always remember in your prayers to use the petition, ‘Thy will be done.’ “[vii] The general died a short time later, noting he preferred to be in Heaven with his Savior.
The ways of the world challenge our minds and, if we allow it, confuse us daily on the purpose and meaning of life. Focusing on the Lord’s Providence grants us peace and protection. However, we must guard such thoughts and live in the Word and in prayer, focusing daily on the ways of the Lord. The Lord has blessed us with such an understanding; may we grow stronger in our desires to submit to Him and respect His will. May we pray for Providential understanding.
David Crum holds a Ph.D. in Historical Theology. He serves as an Assistant Professor of History and Dissertation Chair. His research interests include the history of warfare and Christianity. He and his family attend Trinity Presbyterian Church (ARP) in Bedell, New Brunswick. 

[i] George Truett, “The Grace of Patience” (sermon, First Baptist Church of Dallas, Dallas, TX, November 29, 1942), http://digitalcollections.baylor.edu/cdm/search/collection/fa-gwt.
[ii] William S. Plumer, Theology for the People Or Biblical Doctrine, Plainly Stated, (Harrisonburg: Sprinkle Publications, 2005), 78.
[iii] Ibid.
[iv]  Archibald Alexander, Practical Truths, (Harrisonburg: Sprinkle Publications, 1998), 82.
[v] Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, (Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing, 1988),87.
[vi] Ibid.
[vii] Mary Anna Jackson, Life and Letters of General Thomas J. Jackson, (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1892), 100.
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