The Rules of Engagement

Introduction

certain issue or person. (See Revelation 1:19.) In addition to those items, you may find good use for a notebook, pen, and highlighter. Things are about to get good! 2. Engage in the proper preparation. First Corinthians 14:4, 14 and Jude 20 instruct us to pray in the Spirit because it will edify us and charge us up in the Holy Spirit (give us power to pray more effectively). This time in the Spirit can also be done by singing as you spend time in worship, praise, and thanksgiving. Recalibrate your spiri tual atmosphere by playing worship or anointed instrumental music. This will help you to break through spiritual barriers and barricades and to move beyond the veil into the secret place (Ps. 91). The following prayer often helps me enter into the secret place during my times of worship. Perhaps you may want to pray it as well. My heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus I enter into Your gates with thanksgiving and into Your courts with praise. I bless Your name. You are great and greatly to be praised. I worship You and adore You. (Continue to worship God, and thank Him for health, strength, etc.) I thank You, Father, for clothing me in a robe of righteousness, which covers me because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. It is in Him I live and move and have my being (Ps. 100:4; Isa. 61:10; Acts 17:28). 3. Rid yourself of encumbrances. According to Hebrews 12:1, a few other actions are needed as you prepare for spiritual warfare. You need to make sure you confess your sins (Ps. 24:3–4; Prov. 28:13), examine yourself and determine if you need to repent of some thing or release (forgive) someone, and cast your cares and burdens upon the Lord (1 Pet. 5:7). Remember, you do not fight spiritual battles in your own strength; you fight them in the strength of the Lord. 4. Maintain the proper perspective, posture, and position. When you observe a soldier, you immediately notice his stance and his position. His head is up, his eyes are alert and aware of his surroundings, and he is always in position. This is a lifesaver in wartime, if there ever was one. It is imperative that a soldier knows his position and where he should be at all times.