My prayer list includes a number of people who are addicted to cigarettes. One in particular is battling cancer and taking treatments, another just has stints put into his heart, and the others have health issues of all kinds. Besides that, they endure the cost associated with smoking. Some even complain of not having enough money to live on. Not hard to understand why when some brands of cigarettes cost close to $20 per pack, and are bought daily basis during the month.
I’ve heard comments like, “I can’t quit, I’ll be too stressed out,” “I can’t quit; I’ll gain too much weight,” “I’ve tried several times, I just can’t do it.” I’ve never smoked so I don’t know what it’s like to quit. But I have friends who have, and I want to share a testimony with you. Her story proves that with God all things are possible.
On a Wednesday evening in February, Annette visited a local tanning salon. The owners were well respected in the community.
When Annette arrived, the owner was preparing to leave for church. “Diane, I can come back at another time if this evening is not convenient.” Diane smiled, knowing how much Annette enjoyed her quiet time in the tanning bed. “No need to cancel, my husband is covering the salon while I’m at church.” She grabbed her coat and purse and headed towards the door.
Annette smoked for many years and tried to quit numerous times, but her attempts were never successful. Her sole purpose for coming to the salon was to get a tan, and nothing else. Suddenly; she had an overwhelming desire to have Diane’s church pray for her to quit smoking, and it wouldn’t leave. Annette was bewildered. Where did that thought come from? Asking for prayer was not something she normally did. “Diane, would you ask the church to pray for me to quit smoking?” As she uttered the words, a tingling sensation swept over her from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. And no idea that more was about to transpire!
Diane smiled as she gave Annette a hug. “Yes, I can do that for you.” and she left for church. Annette went into the tanning room. While lying on the tanning bed, she suddenly started talking out loud to the Lord. Tears ran down her face and splattered on the sides of the bed. She called out to God. “Lord, please help me. I ask You to forgive me of my sins. I want to change for You.” Then something marvelous happened; a beautiful, peaceful feeling washed over her. When the timer clicked off, Annette arose from the bed, and prepared to leave. Her life was about to change in ways she never thought possible.
Two days later, Annette arose and lit her first cigarette. The moment she took a puff, felt instantly sick to her stomach. A terrible feeling, like she was dying from poison flowing through her body. Nothing like this ever happened before, yet was determined to finish the cigarette. She took a second puff. Again that awful sick feeling struck her, with the thought, “There’s something wrong with this cigarette, I can’t finish it. And she immediately butted it out.
Her husband, Rick, was overjoyed when he discovered Annette wasn’t smoking any longer. “You haven’t tried to quit smoking in years. What happened this time?” She smiled as she responded, “At my request, Diane from the tanning salon, asked the church to pray for me to quit smoking. Two days ago I had my last cigarette and I haven’t craved one since.”
“Do you believe God answered their prayers?”
Annette shrugged her shoulders. “He must have. I could never quit on my own before.”
On her next visit to the tanning salon, Diane asked, “How are things with you?”
“Diane, the strangest thing happened to me. The last time I had a cigarette I couldn’t finish it. The moment I took a puff I felt terribly sick, but that didn’t stop me from having another puff. Hard to put into words how bad I felt. Like I was dying maybe, with poison going through my body. I put that cigarette out and I haven’t had the desire to have another. That was two days ago. Me, not smoking anymore. Can you believe it?”
Diane pulled Annette in for a hug. “Praise the Lord, He’s delivered you from smoking.”
Annette and her husband were not church goers, talk of deliverance and what it meant was new to them. She always believed in God but admitted she didn’t know of His power, or how real He is in the lives of those who have a personal relationship with Him.
“Diane, are you saying that instead of helping me to quit smoking, the Lord simply took the desire to smoke away? And in just two days!”
“That’s right, Annette. He took the desire to smoke away from you.”
“That’s amazing that He would do that for me, and I don’t even attend church.”
Diane smiled, “Yes, God’s quite amazing.” She invited Annette and her husband to attend special services planned for the following week.
That night, Annette mentioned to Rick, “Diane invited us to attend special services at the church. We haven’t been to church in a long time, maybe we should go.” Rick smiled. “Sure, that’s fine with me.”
Little did they know that from the moment they attended those special services, their lives were about to change forever, and for the better.
Months passed since Annette’s deliverance from smoking. During an evening service at church, she felt in her spirit the Lord saying, My child. It’s time to stand up and thank Me for what I’ve done for you. She took a deep breath, “Okay, Lord, but what do I say?” His exact words were: I want to take this opportunity to thank Jesus for delivering me from smoking.
With heart pounding Annette said, “Lord, I can’t get up in front of a crowd and speak, I’m too shy to do anything like that.” Yet; how could she not give Jesus thanks for delivering her from smoking. “Okay, Lord, if this is from You, please have everyone stand up so I won’t be standing alone.”
Suddenly the pastor grabbed the microphone. “Could we all stand to sing this next song? Before we sing though, I believe someone has a testimony to share.”
Annette’s heart pounded harder than before. “Lord, I can’t do this on my own, help me.” Immediately, the words of her testimony flew out of her mouth. “I want to take this opportunity to thank Jesus for delivering me from smoking. Jesus, I couldn’t have done it without You.”
God is no respecter of persons, what He did not Annette, He will do for another. That’s why I keep praying for those on my list to be delivered from smoking. With God, all things are truly possible. Their testimony stories will no doubt be different from Annette’s, but that’s okay. God knows how to reach each person on my list; so I’ll leave that up to Him!
Note: This testimony story is adapted from, This Is My Story PRAISING MY SAVOIR
written by Annette Aubin with Anne-Marie Madore
I really enjoyed reading this blog entry about your prayer list and the testimony.
I too keep people on my prayer list in my life who have addictions. I have family members who never smoked a day in their life and had stage 2 and stage 3 cancer. I see first hand the journey one must endure with chemo, radiation and surgeries. The cancer walk is absolutely heartbreaking and unfortunately it still is not a wake up call for the people around me who smoke. Nonetheless, such testimonies encourages me to continue walking by faith and in prayer each and every day throughout the day. The power of prayer is amazing and a reminder that God works in mysterious ways and in His timing. All the glory to God.
Yes, there’s power in prayer and nothing is impossible for God. All we have to do is keep our faith and trust in Him. The people on my list are not saved either, so I pray for their salvation too.
Thank you Lincee for taking the time to comment on my blog posts. I’m so encouraged, and thankful that God, through you, answered my prayer.