To be winners, we must first prepare and develop a plan of action that will work, for proper preparation prevents poor performance. We must make sure our plans are God-directed by including two important offensive weapons—the Bible and prayer.

There are five things we must do to prepare to be winners. (1) Pray—pray always and pray first, not last! “Pray constantly” (1Thessalonians 5:17). We will probably get into trouble if we go forward without spending time on our knees. (2) Plan—have short- and long-term goals and seek wise counsel. Write out your plans, talk to God about them, and let Him guide. “Finalize plans through counsel” (Proverbs 20:18). (3) Prepare—God will examine what kind of workers we have been for Him. We should build His Word into our lives for it tells us how to live for Him. (4) Promote—“I will praise the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips” (Psalm 34:1). The Psalmist says God listens to those who call on Him. We have much to be thankful for. Praise Him! (5) Produce—“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). These are by-products of Christ’s control and are evident by Jesus’ living through us!

We cannot go into battle without the proper equipment or without the right stuff. Let us put on our armor. This is the first step in being and getting prepared!