If there is something that you're battling with and you can't rid yourself of it, ask God. If you've tried everything else and nothing has worked, what's the harm?? You can't go wrong and you just might rid yourself of something you don't really need. The Lord can give you strength, all you have to do is ask and believe.

 

Denise- How I Quit Smoking Cigarette's
I've been a smoker for about 20 years. I have wanted to quit for awhile, but I just couldn't bring myself to totally give it up. I would always smoke one more cigarette. On Wednesday May 20, 2005, I attended church that evening. Wednesday nights are filled mainly with prayer. I went that evening expecting a miracle. I had decided that I wanted to quit smoking. The service started out as usual with praise and worship and I was soon in deep prayer and worship. I felt the Holy Spirit with me and I knew tonight was the night. A visiting Prophet called all those to the front that wanted to rid themselves of an addiction that they were struggling with, so I stepped forward. The Holy Spirit was still with me and I asked God to help me quit smoking. I told God that I wasn't strong enough to do it myself and that I was giving it to him. I was so deep in prayer that I didn't realize that the Prophet was in front of me. As soon as he touched me to pray over me I fell to the floor. When I got up I had no cravings for a cigarette. It was like I never smoked in my life. To this day I still don't crave a cigarette and it's still like I've never smoked in my life. I have no desire at all to smoke.

 

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In 1966 my Mom had twins. She was only expecting one child. I was an unpleasant surprise. By 1968 her and my Dad were divorced. I didn't know my Dad until I was 19. In November of 1970, my Mom married my Step-Dad. He was a good provider and we had all the material items we needed. However, I didn't have the emotional support that I needed. My Mom always treated me bad. I grew up thinking that I didn't belong , that nobody loved me and that I couldn't do anything right. Worse of all, I thought that it was my fault.

At 19, I moved out of my Parent's house, got pregnant and married the man I thought loved me and would take care of me for the rest of my life. Soon after the birth of our second child, he became abusive. He was controlling and very verbally abusive to me. I couldn't do anything right according to him. He would tell me all the time that it was his way or the highway. He had me convinced that it was my fault, that I couldn't do anything right. He told me that I couldn't make it without him. And, if I left, he would make sure I would never see my children again. I didn't know what to do. Nobody believed me when I tried to tell them how he treated me. So, I thought it must be me. It must be my fault.

One day, he started screaming at me for something. After he was finished degrading me in front of his friend, his friend looked at me and said, "Does he always speak to you that way?" I said, " Yes! You heard that?" He said," Of course I heard that, I would never speak to anyone like that especially my wife. Why do you put up with it?" It was then that I realized that it wasn't my fault and I wasn't going to put up with it anymore. I left. Soon after I left he filed for divorce. It was 1994.

While in the process of getting divorced, I met the soon to be 2nd husband. We were both going through a divorce and both our spouses were the ones filing. We became great friends. We both had children and we shared a lot of the same interests. In 1996, we were married. Our Ex's weren't very happy about that. Basically, because we were caring for all 5 children and living in a nice home. But most of all because we had each other. We had problems, but we always seem to work them out. His children soon moved out and went to live with their Mom. Things got a little easier, but I still had a lot of past that I was dealing with.

In 2002, a friend of ours introduced us to Crank. Like most drugs it became a habit. One which destroyed our relationship. We were self-employed and basically he started to work just to get more drugs. He didn't pay for the drugs, most of the time he traded things or did work for the guy. I got to the point that I hated Husband 2. We fought all the time. The only bills that were getting paid was the mortgage and utilities. Things got really bad. I didn't want to do the drugs anymore, so I quit.

In January of 2003, I went to work at a Trucking Co. We needed the money to pay the bills. I met my Pastor there. He soon became my friend. We would talk about my problems and he would talk to me about God. He told me that God loved me even if no one else did. He told me that if I believed in God and Jesus and what Jesus did for us by dying on the cross that I could be saved. That I could have a better life. I wanted to believe him, but no one ever loved me like that. Finally, I started wanting what he was talking about. I kept saying that there has to be something better than what I had. Which at the time wasn't much. I was losing Husband #2 because he couldn't see that he was destroying himself with the drugs.

One day after I got home from work, we were talking and he started to get high. I asked him when he thought he might give it up and he said NEVER!!! I said OK. It's drugs or me, you have to choose. He choose the drugs, so I packed a bag and told him to call me when he came to his senses. I was devastated. I went and stayed with a girl I worked with. I filed an Injunction against Husband 2 so that I could go home. When he received the paperwork he was devastated. He knew I meant business. I told his Mom to tell him to get rid of all the drugs and then I would come home. But, he had to stay with her for awhile until I knew he was off the drugs. That night is the night that I found God.

I was really upset and I had left my girlfriend's house and was walking around town when my Boss called me on the two-way. "Denise? What are you doing?" I told him I didn't know. I just wanted everything to be alright and I wanted to go home to my husband. I knew I couldn't, but I just wanted things to be right. I agreed to let him pick me up and take me someplace where I could sleep for the night. We started to talk and as usual he told me that God loved me and all I had to do was to pray with him. I did. We started to pray and I could feel all the bad, heavy stuff that was weighing we down rise up through my head and starting with my feet I was filled up with God's love. I felt tingly all over. (Like when you get a kiss from that special someone.) I knew it was God and for the First time in my life I felt Loved and Accepted. I knew everything would be all right.

God saved me that night and my marriage. He gave me the strength to stand up for myself and save Husband 2 from killing himself. Today, our love is strong. The bills are getting caught up and there is some left over. In all the time that we were together we never had extra, always just enough to pay the bills. I've gotten involved in the Church. I volunteer by cleaning the Church and helping out in the office. I tithe every week. Not because I have to, but because it's the least I can do for what God did for me. I have friends. True Friends. People who don't look down on me, but praise my accomplishments. People who love me for me. I have a better relationship with my children and my husband. I've let the past go and I have a better outlook on life. But, most of all, Husband 2 has started going to Church with me. I Thank God every day for all that he has done for me and I continue daily to receive Blessings from the one who Truly Loves Us!!!!!!!!!

Denise