SM #34: Deliver Us From Evil

And lead us not into testing, but rescue us from the evil. ~ JESUS (Matthew 6:13)

SUMMARY: Read this and skip the rest (if you want)

• Strong teaching about the importance of receiving and giving forgiveness is the context for this prayer to be delivered from evil, suggesting normalizing unforgiveness is one of the ways Satan attacks the Church.

• The final doxology is not in the earliest manuscripts, but was adopted by the first-century church as a way of ending the prayer in praise.

• The evil could refer to the world (life circumstances and societal norms that go against the way of Jesus), the flesh (our own fallen nature working against the life of the spirit), and/or the Devil (our Adversary and Accuser).

• When we refuse to forgive others or ourselves we are doing the Devil's work.

• The church will do well to normalize weakness, to form and forge the community of the broken.

Prefer to listen rather than read? Follow the picture link to hear an AI audio overview.

CORE

(The heart of the message)

The Lord's Prayer ends with a cry for help, reminding us that we are weaker than we realize.

CONTEXT

(What’s going on before and after this passage)

The immediate context of this line in the Lord's Prayer is the topic of forgiveness. Jesus has just taught us to pray for forgiveness as we forgive others. And he will return to the topic of forgiveness immediately following the Lord's Prayer. So here, the "evil" we need deliverance from may very well be the temptation toward unforgiveness.

It is precisely those of us who are sitting at the feet of Jesus on the mountain, listening and learning how to be better people, who must resist the urge to sit in the seat of judgement over those who are not with us.

This closing part of the prayer is similar to many Jewish prayers at that time. For instance:

Lead my foot not into the power of sin,

And bring me not into the power of iniquity,

And not into the power of temptation, And not into the power of anything shameful. And do not let the evil inclination dominate me. ~ The Babylonian Talmud (Ber. 60b)

However, from Jesus' perspective, one of the greatest evils is the destructive power of unforgiveness. A lack of mercy and compassion, according to Jesus and the early Church, is a foothold for the Devil. The early church prayed every day:

"Remember your church, Lord, to deliver it from all evil." ~ The Didache (10:5)

At the end of the prayer we often add a kind of doxology - a finish with flourish, like a mini drum solo at the end of a rock song. It goes like this:

"For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever. Amen."

This line is not in the earliest manuscripts, but was added in very early and is already in the Didache, a first-century church manual dated to about the same time as the writing of the Gospels. So the earliest Christians seem to have taken the liberty to add this doxology as a conclusion of praise, probably inspired from other places in Scripture (e.g., 1 Chronicles 29:11-13).

The early Church were not textual legalists. Their souls were shaped by the teaching of Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit, and then they made what loving choices seemed best to them. That is how the New Covenant works.

Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things.In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. ~ King David (1 Chronicles 29:11-13)

CONSIDER

(Observations about the passage)

Testing. This Greek word (noun, peirasmos; verb, peirazó) could be translated "test" or "trial" or "temptation", depending on context. We know from Scripture that sometimes God "tests" his people (Genesis 22:1; Deuteronomy 8:2; 13:3), and yet God never "tempts" us to sin (James 1:13). The Bible scholar Darrell Johnson makes a helpful distinction: "A test is something meant to prove a person's character, and in the process, improve it. A temptation is meant to entice a person to sin, to bring a person down in some way" (Fifty-Seven Words that Change the World). Jesus uses the same word in Gethsemane when he tells his disciples to "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation" (Matthew 26:41). In that instance, the time of testing was unavoidable - the soldiers would come soon and Jesus wanted the disciples to stay strong rather than run away or worse. But they didn't pray and they didn't stay strong. This is a lesson for us all. Theologians point out the apparent problems that arise out of whichever translation we use. If we translate peirasmos here as "test" or "testing", then we are asking God to avoid doing what the Bible says God does for our own good. So we seem to be praying against God's will. And if we translate it as "temptation", then we are asking God not to do what God has already told us he never does. Which seems like a waste of a prayer, or one that lacks faith in the goodness of God. Whatever the translation we use here, one thing is clear: this is an admission of our weakness and a reaffirmation that sometimes the best way to confront evil is to avoid it. Yes, in Matthew 4 we learn that the Holy Spirit led Jesus into a time of testing/temptation from the Devil, but this is not recommended for all believers. Some things Jesus faced head-on so that we don't have to. Testing may come our way, but we should not be so presumptuous about our own strength that we seek it out. When temptation does come our way, God will help us. But even better if we avoid it all together. So we pray something like "Father please lead us along a pathway that avoids testing/temptation as much as possible. And if I must go through a test, help me resist the temptation that comes with that test." And this is precisely what the Sermon on the Mount offers us: a straight and narrow road of real righteousness. Remember Jesus' principle of radical separation from temptation in Matthew 5:29-30. When we pray this prayer daily, we resolve to partner with God to walk in a way that answers our own prayer. Once more for the people at the back: the best way to resist temptation is to avoid it altogether.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials (Greek, peirasmos) of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ... Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial (Greek, peirasmos) because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. When tempted (Greek, peirazó), no one should say, “God is tempting (Greek, peirazó) me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt (Greek, peirazó) anyone; but each person is tempted (Greek, peirazó) when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. ~ James the brother of Jesus (James 1:2-3, 12-14)

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation (Greek, peirasmos) has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. ~ The apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 10:12-14)

Rescue us. To pray for rescue, for deliverance, is to admit that we are not independently strong enough to always free ourselves. So we humbly admit our weakness. This prayer is rooted in reality. We need a Saviour, not just an encourager; a Deliverer, not just a life coach. This verb is also used in the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint) used at the time of Jesus to refer to the Exodus - the deliverance, the rescue of Israel out of Egypt. The verb hints that Jesus is doing something similar, leading his people out of slavery and into freedom.

"The verb means to rescue someone from a fate from which he cannot escape on his own." ~ Charles Quarles (Sermon on the Mount)

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. ~ The apostle Paul (Colossians 1:13-14)

The evil. This translation ("the evil") is the most literal. It could be translated as "the evil one" or just "evil", but it does have the definite article ("the") in front of it, which suggests a specific form of evil that is a constant danger to all believers. This evil that is an ever present threat to our spiritual lives could be the Devil himself, which fits the context of what happens just before the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 4:1-11. What the Father means to be a test for us, the evil one will always work to turn into a temptation. The evil could also be our own fallen and sinful nature, always with us until our glorification after we die. Sometimes we are "the evil one" in our own lives and so we pray for God to lead us away from our lower false selves and toward our higher true selves (see Romans 7:14-25). Sometimes it is wise to pray: Father, protect me from myself. In all likelihood, Jesus refers to the combination of both: Satan manipulating our inherent human weakness, our flesh. For instance, in his advice on marriage, sex, and singleness to the Corinthian Christians, the apostle Paul tells husbands and wives to remember to have regular sex in marriage "so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control" (1 Corinthians 7:5). We must always manage our weakness, our flesh, until one day we will rule and reign over it completely.

Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. ~ JESUS (Matthew 26:41)

For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. ~ The apostle Paul (Romans 7:19-20)

"The evil will is still alive even in the followers of Christ, it still seeks to cut them off from fellowship with him." ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer (The Cost of Discipleship)

"Evil is real and powerful. It is not only 'out there', in other people, but it is present and active within each of us. ... But Jesus' victory over evil is also real and powerful. It, too, is not oly 'out there', a fact of history two thousand years ago, but it is available here and now for each of us." ~ N.T. Wright (The Lord and His Prayer)

EXAMPLE PRAYER: Dear Father, thank you for the forgiveness you give me and empower me to give to others. Now I ask that you will guide my steps today away from evil in every form. Help me avoid what I know tempts me (pause to acknowledge those specific places or people or situations you will choose to avoid today), and when I do stumble into difficult situations, please help me be strong enough to choose your way out. I especially pray that you keep my heart clean from grudges or any temptation to sit in the seat of judgement over someone, including myself.

COMMENTARY

(Thoughts about meaning and application)

The Lord's prayer ends with a cry for help. What a strong reminder that we are not spiritual heroes. We need rescue. We are weaker than we realize.

Theologians have long pointed out that temptations which appeal to our weaknesses come to us through three main channels: the world, the flesh, and the Devil.

1. THE WORLD: The soul-shaping influence of culture.

   

   
   

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. ~ The apostle John (1 John 2:15-17)

Like the water a fish swims in, the influence of culture is all around us all the time. In order to become more aware of the influences of our own culture, we can do three things:

a. Travel. Get to know other cultures first hand, which will help us see things in our own culture that are largely invisible to us. This is, admittedly, not an option for many of us, so there are other things we can all do.

b. Study. Learn about other cultures, including ancient cultures throughout history. Again, this will make us more self-aware of our own and the ways it may be influencing us. More of us can do this.

c. Fellowship. We can all get and stay connected to other believers in communities of weakness and acceptance. Together we can keep our eyes fixed on Jesus to help us cultivate a Kingdom culture that reflects the fruit of the Spirit, the qualities of love, and the Beatific Way of Jesus.

2. THE FLESH: Our human impulses apart from the leading of the spirit; our inner inclination toward selfishness and away from love.

Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own desire and enticed. ~ James the brother of Jesus (James 1:14)

We can fight the battle against our own flesh through daily disciplines like prayer and fasting and giving (what Jesus has been teaching us in the Sermon on the Mount).

• Praying the Lord's Prayer every day can help us become aware of our own autopilot that often leads us in the wrong direction.

• Fasting regularly helps us strengthen our ability to say no to things we want.

• Giving sacrificially bends our self-preservation instincts into other-centred love.

Another way to fight our flesh is to run away.

Jesus says, if your eye leads you astray, gouge it out. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. This is classic rabbinic hyperbole – a vivid image designed to make a strong point. Jesus is teaching the principle of radical separation from temptation.

You know he’s right. The best way to avoid overindulging on junk food is to not have it in the house. The best way to avoid descending into another round of binge drinking is to stay away from bars. The best way to avoid late night online shopping splurges or doom scrolling is to put your phone out of reach when going to bed. You get the principle.

We are not as strong as we think we are. But we are all strong enough to make pre-emptive choices that will help us avoid those situations or relationships that exploit our weaknesses.

Jesus is teaching us the principle of victory through retreat. That doesn’t sound very victorious, but brother is it ever wise.

Perhaps Joseph ran from Potiphar's wife for multiple reasons, including fleeing his own flesh.

When it comes to our own inner desires that could lead us down a dark path, Jesus doesn’t tell us to be stronger or to flex the muscle of our will power. Jesus doesn’t just say “stand firm” or “do better”. No, Jesus tells us to run away from whatever tempts us. He knows that we are weaker than we realize.

The apostle Paul agrees with Jesus:

Flee sexual immorality. ~ The apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 6:18)

Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. ~ The apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 10:14)

Flee the desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. ~ The apostle Paul (2 Timothy 2:22)

Humans are made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27). We are God-like. So when we humans get off track, we are a force to be reckoned with.

In fact, sometimes our own fleshly desires will be so set against what we know in our hearts is best for our lives that we are told not even to think about them.

Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. ~ The apostle Paul (Romans 13:14)

When it comes to the Devil - resist! When it comes to our flesh - run away!

3. THE DEVIL: Satan and his army of darkness are always at work to influence our culture, exploit our weaknesses, and destroy our hope through accusation.

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ~ The apostle Paul (Ephesians 6:11)

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ~ James the brother of Jesus (James 4:7)

Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith. ~ The apostle Peter (1 Peter 5:9)

Satan is portrayed as a toothless, declawed lion whose main weapons are intimidation and distraction. When we refuse to listen to his lies and instead we confront him head-on with truth, we win. (But remember, this head-on fight to the finish approach changes when we face our own inner inclinations.)

The Devil hates God, but he cannot hurt God. At least, not directly. So Satan pours all his energies into harming us, people made in God’s image who God loves dearly. When Satan ruins God's people and wrecks God's Church, he is stabbing at the heart of the Father.

Satan also envies us and wants us torn apart. The seventeenth-century puritan Thomas Watson wrote:

"Satan envies man’s happiness. To see a clod of dust so near to God, and himself, once a glorious angel, cast out of the heavenly paradise, makes him pursue mankind with inveterate hatred." ~ Thomas Watson (The Lord's Prayer)

Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you, filled with fury! ~ The apostle John (Revelation 12:12)

Just like Adam and Eve, Jesus had no sinful nature, so temptation came from an external source. Matthew tells us that "Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil" (Matthew 4:1). In our case, we have an internal tempter at all times: our flesh. The Devil doesn't have to follow us around to tempt us - we can do that just fine by ourselves. But if and when we fail, the Devil will move in to make our repentance and recovery less likely. For us, the Devil is not our tempter but our accuser. Accusation is how Satan works to keep us away from God's grace.

Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. ~ The apostle John (Revelation 12:10)

So, in sum:

• Tempted by Satan? Fight! We are stronger than the Devil. Truth is our weapon.

• Tempted by our own evil inclinations? Flee! We are not stronger than ourselves.

• Tempted by the world around us? Fellowship! Find strength in Christian community and the culture of the Kingdom.

We can see all three things - the world, the flesh, and the devil - addressed in passages like this:

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ~ The apostle Paul (Ephesians 2:1-5)

CONFESSION

(Personal reflection)

I confess that I am in league with Satan. There, I've said it. The (black) cat's out of the bag. Now to explain...

Here's the thing: I hold onto unforgiveness like a fat kid caressing a corndog. I am like Gollum with the One Ring - clutching my precious even though it is poisonous. I accuse, judge, and condemn, and I find it almost impossible to let it go. It feels like I'm trying to un-clench a fist that's been closed for years, and it isn't working.

I'm not this way with most people, but there is one person who has hurt me most deeply that I cannot, or will not, forgive.

This person has caused me and my family so much suffering.

This person ruined my life.

This person must pay.

This person is me.

And this is how I partner with the Devil in playing the role of "the Accuser".

The Hebrew word "Satan" is more of a title than a name, meaning the Accuser or Adversary. It was used for the prosecuting attorney in court. Interestingly, Jesus calls the Holy Spirit our Paraclete, meaning our Defender, or Defense Attorney. Satan is always accusing, and the Holy Spirit is always defending, and me, I keep listening to the wrong voice.

I am both the sinner who is judged and the accuser who does the judging. I am a one stop shop for all my condemnation needs. I am the (D)evil that I need deliverance from.

 This 2014 movie is a favourite of mine. It tells a fictionalized story based on actual events in the life of NYPD Sergeant Ralph Sarchie. I also like how the logo puts the "D" in front of the "E" which connects with our translation discussion above.

And so recently I have been praying this part of the Lord's Prayer with earnest. I'm not just praying "Father, keep me away from sin" but also "Father, help me not partner with Satan to condemn me over the sin I have already committed. Help me really and truly accept your forgiveness. Help me hold my head up and walk with you as a free and forgiven man."

I pray this often, and yet, to be honest, it is still a struggle. I am not writing this post from a position of personal victory. I am writing from the pit. I am tired of being the Devil's Advocate in my own life. And yet, I am too tired to fight against it. And so, all I have left is this prayer.

Have you ever been in this place?

I am aware that convincing us to withhold forgiveness, from others or ourselves, is one of the ways Satan schemes to dismantle our faith and destroy our churches. We see this especially in how the apostle Paul deals with a sinful man in one of the churches he founded.

In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul corrects the Corinthian Christians for taking sin too lightly and refusing to rebuke a man who was living in sexual sin. Apparently, the man had entered into a sexual relationship with his father's new wife and he is not showing any signs of repentance. In fact, the Corinthian church had become complacent about this continuing sin, perhaps even misguidedly boasting in their 'tolerance' as an expression of God's grace rather than grieving and addressing the pain and shame it was causing. So Paul counsels the Christians in Corinth to follow Jesus' plan for responding to sinning Christians laid out in Matthew 18. Care enough to confront. And if the man refuses to repent, show him the door. Otherwise we become enablers rather than true friends.

And so, as far as we know, they asked this man to leave their church family as long as he was determined to continue his incestuous relationship with his father’s wife. To be clear, the issue is never the severity of the sin itself, but whether or not we are willing to repent when confronted.

But that isn't the end of this saga. About a year later Paul writes another letter to the same church and closes the loop on this topic:

If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. Another reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. ~ The apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 2:5-11)

Paul tells the Corinthian Christians that it’s time to forgive and to comfort. This isn't about just tolerating the sinful man again, but about actually loving him. Notice, Paul never says the man has repented. Perhaps he has - we can assume that is the case - but that isn’t even worth a mention to Paul. No, Paul’s motivation goes deeper into the human condition.

There are two reasons Paul gives for forgiving and restoring the sinful man:

1. rescuing the man from his own sorrow, and

2. protecting the church from the influence of Satan.

Firstly, when we withhold fellowship, people suffer. Within reason, some pain can motivate repentance. But when overplayed, disfellowshipping is just cruel. Paul says that even a guilty sinner under church discipline is still a human being who can only endure so much shame. The Greek wording literally means to be “swallowed up by overwhelming sorrow”. Sorrow, sadness, grieving… it can swallow our soul. Paul aligns with what James the brother of Jesus says so succinctly: For true followers of Jesus, mercy must always triumph over judgement.

Secondly, Paul says mercy must have the last word for one very important reason: in order that Satan might not outwit us. It seems that our tendency to emphasize judgement over forgiveness, justice over mercy, exclusion over reconciliation, being right over being compassionate, and individual shame over communal healing plays right into Satan’s agenda for destroying human lives and Christian churches. Christians should be the ones who lie awake at night brainstorming how to bring broken people back into fellowship. Christians should take risks to their reputation to reach out to sinning, separated, and shamed sheep. Christians leave the ninety-nine to pursue the one. Christians always counter the world’s reaction of judgement and shame with the call to compassion and reconciliation.

At least, that’s how it's supposed to be.

Here we see an important principle for all Christians, whether as individuals to as gathered churches:

Unforgiveness creates spiritual vulnerability to Satan's influence.

I want to be influenced by the tenderness of Jesus, of whom Matthew writes and Isaiah prophesies:

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory. ~ Matthew quoting Isaiah 42 (Matthew 12:20)

This is good news for all of us bruised reeds out here.

In our pursuit of justice, let us be restorative like Jesus and not punitive like the world, the flesh, and the Devil.

Mercy triumphs over judgment. ~ James the brother of Jesus (James 2:13)

In the 1997 film Devil's Advocate, Al Pacino offers us one of the best (and by best I mean worst, that is, most accurate) portrayals of Satan, the prosecuting attorney in the courtroom of life. (Interestingly, in the movie, he is a successful defense attorney. So sneaky.) Click the pick to see a scene.

CONCLUSION

(One last thought)

Ending the Lord's Prayer with a cry for help reminds us of our weakness. And admitting our weakness can become the secret super power of the Church.

For those of us raised in the church, try finishing this sentence: "When I am weak..." (Go ahead. How does that sentence end?) Most of us will say "...then he is strong." And that is a good interpretation of the verse given its context, but it's not what the line actually says.

Yes, Jesus assures us that when we are weak we can experience God's strength more directly. God will deliver us from evil. But even better, God's strength becomes fused with us through our weaknesses, so much so that the apostle Paul can say "when I am weak, then I am strong."

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. ~ The apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

"Weakness is our strength." ~ Charles H. Spurgeon (Spurgeon's Sermons on the Sermon on the Mount)

The strength of the Jesus Community, the Church, the Matthew 18:20 gathering of two or three believers in Jesus' name, is our fierce commitment to owning and admitting our weakness. That's our secret super power: our unashamed acceptance of our weakness. Our gatherings should be real "come as you are" parties, fostering a culture of inclusion and embrace.

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. ~ The apostle Paul (Romans 15:7)

__________________

All of us crawl before we can walk. And we walk before we can run. In the Lord's Prayer, we can crawl, walk, and run together. It is the perfect place to begin our spiritual life and take our first baby steps. And yet, we never outgrow it. This prayer unites us all, from new faltering believers to longtime super saints.

Every day, let's come back to this prayer, and spend time with the God who wants us to call him Dad.

And when we do, we can know that Jesus is praying with us.

My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. ~ JESUS (John 17:15)

CONTEMPLATE

(Scripture passages that relate to and deepen our understanding of this topic)

Matthew 26:41; John 17:15; 1 Corinthians 10:12-14; 2 Corinthians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:13-14; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; 2 Timothy 2:22; James 1:1-14

CONVERSATION

(Talk together, learn together, grow together)

1. What is God revealing to you about himself through this passage?

2. What is God showing you about yourself through this passage?

3. In what instances are you most tempted to play the role of "Devil's Advocate" by offering accusation rather than forgiveness to someone?

4. What is one thing you can think, believe, or do differently in light of what you are learning?

5. What questions are you still processing about this topic?

CALL TO ACTION

(Ideas for turning talk into walk)

1. Pray the Lord's Prayer, out loud, slowly, every day. When your heart feels convicted about something, jot it down, finish praying, then go do it.

2. Admit your weakness to at least one other person.  Let us form and further the community of the broken. Normalize weakness.

3. Forgive. Others and yourself. Declare it, then work to live in that reality.