Psalm 1:1 -- the progression of sin

The first verse of the first Psalm reads (KJV),

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

As other commentators have noted, those three verbs -- walketh, standeth, and sitteth -- imply a progression of letting sin come into our lives. First, we accept some sinful activity by "walking" in its presence. Eventually, we "stand" and "sit" in its presence, thus completely joining in with the debauchery.

Unfortunately, so much sin follows that exact progression. We allow something contrary to God's will to enter our lives; we might not even notice God's displeasure at first. And from there, the sinful behavior escalates.

In our prayers, we should make an attempt to catch those sins at the "walketh" stage. But if they slip past that point, entering the dreaded "standeth" or "sitteth," well, we should pray harder!