We are in the middle of spiritual combat. "Dressed For Battle" is our series at Fusion Christian Church about winning that combat by wearing the Armor of God. In week Seven, Pastor Zac teaches about using prayer to power your armor.

Pray in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The first key to an effective prayer life is to pray in the Holy Spirit. Christians have the unique honor of having God's Holy Spirit live inside of us! Because of that, everything we do should be in submission to the Spirit and in recognition of his power. If you have ever tried to do things under your own power, you should know that it is not enough. Christians need to stand in God's power in order to "power up" our spiritual armor and achieve spiritual victory.

To pray in the power of the Holy Spirit is to pray in alignment with the will of God.

Praying in the power of the Spirit falls under the broader category of submission to God's will. Jesus set the perfect example for us by repeatedly emphasizing "thy will be done" in his prayers. When we pray, we must always remember that God works things together according to his infinite wisdom and grace. Knowing this, we should remind ourselves that God will grant our prayers when they align with his will and refuse them when we pray selfishly.

To pray in the power of the Holy Spirit is to follow the Spirit’s leading.

To have an effective prayer life, we must be open to the Spirit's guidance. This will not always be obvious, but through much prayer and through knowledge of scripture we may discern his leading. When we feel the Spirit leading us in one direction, we should affirm that it is him by aligning the decision with scripture and wisdom and then follow it. Sensitivity to the Spirit's leading comes with spiritual maturity.

To pray in the power of the Holy Spirit is to pray for the family of God.

Once again, we must not pray selfishly. It is acceptable to ask God for personal blessings, but a healthy prayer life includes prayers for all of God's people. Remembering to pray for others inclines our hearts in love toward those very same people and creates a healthy attitude within us. By praying even for our enemies we can keep ourselves from becoming bitter and foster a heart of love instead. What steps can you take this week to build a better prayer life?