“Be sound in mind, therefore, and be vigilant with a view to prayers.

1 Peter 4:7

11. What is needed for us to remain “sound in mind”?

¹¹ In harmony with this admonition, to remain morally clean or upright in conduct and to be active in promoting the spiritual welfare of others, we need to be “sound in mind.” This requires that we guard against letting emotions rule and allowing them to unbalance us mentally. It is vital that we recognize the truly important things in life, that we have a balanced sense of what deserves priority.​—Philippians 1:9, 10.

12. (a) Why is it important to be “vigilant with a view to prayers”? (b) How did Peter come to appreciate the importance of this from his own experience?

¹² If we want to remain God’s faithful servants, we cannot hope to succeed in our own strength. We need to look to Jehovah God for aid, being “vigilant with a view to prayers.” From personal experience, the apostle Peter learned the importance of being “vigilant,” watchful or alert with reference to prayers. Just prior to Jesus Christ’s being arrested by an armed mob in the garden of Gethsemane, the Son of God had encouraged Peter, James and John to pray so that they might not fall victim to temptation. However, all three apostles fell asleep at this critical time. (Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46) Weakened by his failure to remain “vigilant” as regards prayer, Peter later denied Jesus Christ three times. (John 18:17, 18, 25-27) Yet, earlier, Peter had confidently declared: “Lord, I am ready to go with you both into prison and into death.” (Luke 22:33) “Although all the others are stumbled in connection with you, never will I be stumbled!”​—Matthew 26:33.

13. What can we learn from Peter’s experience when he failed to be “vigilant with a view to prayers”?

¹³ There is a vital lesson for us in what happened to Peter. It can impress on us the danger of overconfidence. Because of our limitations and weaknesses, it is only with divine help that we can succeed in resisting temptation. May we, therefore, keep on praying with an alert mind and a heart that is unwavering in its affections for Jehovah God and Jesus Christ.