Ever prayed from inside your sin?

From inside the fish Jonah prayed... "In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry." - Jonah 2:1-2

Have you or me for that matter, ever prayed from "inside your sin"? Why was Jonah in the belly of a whale? 'Cause he sinned. Easy enough. Have we ever sinned? Of course, if you said no there, please start over and be honest. Jonah disobeyed God. God had told him to go to Ninivah and tell the people that He was going to destroy their city if they didn't stop all their sins. What did Jonah do instead, head the opposite direction. Sounds kinda like when my kids were at "that age", you know you tell them to eat their cereal and they pour it all over the floor, or you tell them to get dressed and they take everything they have off and look at you with that "what 'cha going to do about it" look. Jonah, in essence, gave God that "what 'cha going to do about it" look.

So Jonah ended up in the inside of a whale. This was the outcome of his sin, the destination from the road he choose. If he had obeyed God, things would have been much different. If he had just stayed where he was and ignored God, I believe, it would have been a little better, still disobeying God, but not thumping his nose at God, as he now was. We have all heard the stories of how it was, more then likely inside that whale, and how God had to have prepared that fish to swallow Jonah, as whales aren't built normally to do that kind of thing. But that is not the main focus here, the main focus is that Jonah messed up, and found himself, because of his sin, in a bad situation.

Did you know that God hears a sinners prayer? When a sinner, one who is far from God, prayers God hears them. Why would God, who is perfect in every way, even be slightly interested in what a person who does not obey Him, does not love Him, has not shown an interest at all in Him, take the time to listen? God is disgusted by sin, He cannot come into contact in any way with it. When His son Jesus, was on the cross and had "the sins of the world" on Him, God the father, had to turn His head, because He could not even look at His son, because of the presence of sin. YET, God hears us when we, in sin, call on Him.

So, God will come into the presence of sin, just because we called out to Him. Jonah was in the whale, because of his sin, and called out to God, and God listened. What was so important that God would listen to this man who was in the middle of sin, and surrounded by sin because of his disobedience? Jonah, basically said, "I'm sorry".

Every "sinners prayer" that was ever prayed, was prayed from inside someone's sin. God hears them all, yet do you realize what it takes for Him to be even that close to sin? He does not do it alone, Jesus, who overpowered death, hell, and the grave, and took ALL sin on Him when He died, basically "filter's" out the sin, so that His Father can bare it.

Back in the old testament, there were all kinds of things, sacrifices, laws, rules, that had to be done in order to make ones self clean enough for God to contact someone personally. Looking at the rules, and regulations, it is a wonder anyone "knew God" at all. I think most Jews followed these rules, out of pride for their heritage more then there love for God. BUT Jesus Christ became the sacrifice, so that we have direct contact with God, the Father, on His throne, listening to US>

When we fail, when we goof up, make a mistake, when we turn our backs on God on purpose, when we doubt, when we SIN, all we have to do is call on His name, from inside our sin. Without Jesus' work on the cross, how would this have been possible? It wouldn't. Now, thanks to Jesus Christ, there is no priests needed, to take our side, there is no sacrifice to be made, there is no "Holy of Holys" that the high priest must enter and make our cases' before God, and ask for forgiveness. WE, while still covered, drowning in our sin, can come before God in His throne room, with Jesus Christ standing there representing us, and ask for forgiveness. AND GOD hears us, why, not because of who we are. but because of who God is, and what His Son did on the cross.

I look forward to the day when God the father, can look directly at me, without having to use His son as a filter, to filter out the sin, it seems I always have somewhere in my life. I have doubt, I have depression, I have emotions that come into my life everyday, that are not of God. One day, when I am in front of His throne, He will look directly into my sin free eyes and say: "Enter in, thou good and faithful servant" And I will look directly at Him, see His face and praise His name as I enter into the place He has made for me.
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Jonah, was basically dead inside that whale. If he couldn't get out, that was it for him. That is why he uses the term, "from the depths of the grave, I called for help, and you listened to my cry"

Have you ever been so far from the Lord, if felt like you were in the belly of a whale? There was no way out, there was nothing you could do, but die. You had no idea how to get out of this mess that your choices had gotten yourself into. Sometimes God allows us to get there, so that we have no other alternative but to call upon Him, from inside our sin. When we get to that point, we HAVE no choice but to trust Him, and then it is "God Time". He shows us what He is capable of, and hopefully, we never lose faith in Him again.

God always hears us when we call upon Him, especially when we are deep inside of our sin. Try it out, give Him a shout, and see what happens. He will never let you down, never forsake you, never leave you stranded, He wants to hear from you, regardless of where your are.