If the Bible tells us that the heart must be at peace before prayer, it means that the Lord places great importance on the peace of the heart. It also means that refusing to worry is our prerogative. It is not up to God to prevent us from worrying; it is up to each individual to ensure that worry does not take hold of their heart.

Whenever we allow worry to replace peace in our hearts, we risk distancing ourselves from God. The life of Job shows us how worry and fear alone can render our prayer life ineffective. The Bible presents Job as a man of integrity who feared God.

Job lived to please God. He was a man of prayer and a true worshiper. However, he understood that what he feared always came to pass:

“What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me. I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.” Job 3:25-26

Job clearly shows us here that his prayers were never able to prevent the things he feared from happening to him. The fact that he feared certain misfortunes disqualified him from receiving an answer to his prayers. All Job had to do was stop worrying, and these misfortunes would not have befallen him.

Job’s experience shows that a lack of peace in our hearts prevents God from doing good to us. We can certainly deduce that God acts where there is peace, while the enemy prospers where there is turmoil. A troubled heart is a heart that appeals to the enemy and receives answers from him, while a heart filled with peace is a heart that speaks to God and also receives answers from Him.

It is up to each person to choose from whom they want to receive an answer…

This text is an excerpt from the book “THE SECRETS OF INNER PEACE” written by Dominique MBOG.

We invite you to read the following article: “HE KEPT HIS PEACE IN THE FACE OF THE THREAT OF DEATH.”