It is possible to be drunk with worldly gaiety, and when the brain is reeling after indulgence in worldly pleasure to try to approach God in prayer. It is possible to be drunk with worldly business, and with a mind full of business cares, business plans, business successes or failures to attempt to draw near to the Holy God. But Peter tells us that prayer in these circumstances is impossible. Such feelings are definite, open hindrances to prayer, and must be set aside. They must be repented of and renounced, if we are to know what true fellowship with God is.
Prayer is an awful thing.
God is very great. Between us at our best and God there is a great gulf. It will ever be a wonderful thing that we are allowed to pray at all. So the word before us tells us that to the solemn exercise of prayer we ought to bring a mind, humble, penitent, clear, sound. It is not without meaning that prayer is connected in Scripture with fasting.