Our enemy has some pretty good attack strategies - one of the biggest and best being something I call "The Flashback Attack." You see, he has a way of replaying in our minds a movie reel of all our past mistakes. We watch our failures, and we buy into the lie that "God could never use someone like me." But the truth is that nothing could be further from the truth.

If we look at the life of Samson, we find a beautiful example of how God hears the prayers of even the biggest screw-ups.

Then Samson prayed to the LORD, "O Sovereign LORD, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes." (Judges 16:28, NIV)

Samson had totally allowed his pride to get in the way of his walk with God, and it resulted in a betrayal by Delilah, a really bad haircut, and the loss of his eyesight. But after all the mistakes and bad consequences, Samson had a divine realization that God wasn't finished with him yet.

He called on God for His power one more time, and God heard his prayer.

And regardless of what your "criminal record" may be, God can hear your prayer, too.