Neccesity of preparation before prayer

Before prayer prepare thy soul, and be not as a man that tempteth God. (Ecclus. xviii. 23).

If, then, thou findest thyself dry, wandering, and distracted in prayer, do not be surprised. It is thy own fault, for whereas it is in thy power to prepare thyself for it, as so many faithful servants of God do, thou nevertheless neglectest to do this, either through disinclination or want of attention, and at the same time persuadest thyself that God will not, on this account, fail to show Himself to thee in prayer with the same gracious countenance which is the reward earned by others at the cost of great diligence and preparation. Is not this an extraordinary kind of presumption, nay, even of irreverence and impiety? For if, when thou hast to speak to thy sovereign, thou thinkest carefully beforehand of what thou hast to say, how much more oughtest thou to do so when it is to God that thou art about to speak? "Speak not anything rashly before God." [1 Eccles. v. 1.]

From: The Manna of the Soul: December 1st