God knows we are weak and sinful, but He will lift up all of us to find the happiness that comes from doing His will. In the ninth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke tells us that Saul was "still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord" (9:1).
Yet, only a few lines later, we read that God is asking Ananias to go see "Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying" (Acts 9:11).
Ananias expresses concerns about ministering to Saul because of his reputation for killing Christians. "But the Lord said to him, 'Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake'" (Acts 9:15-16).
What so often gets understated about this passage is that Saul was praying. While it was specifically to restore his sight he lost on the journey to Damascus, Saul's vulnerability before God and his pleas for help, made it possible for him to receive what God needed Him to have.
Keep praying. God listens.
