Using Spiritual Strength to Quit Smoking

I had an actual miracle when I quit smoking. No one who knew me thought for one moment that I could quit. I wrote out a list of the reasons that I wanted to quit and put it on my fridge so that I would read it each and every day. I wrote it in red ink to symbolize the blood of life. One of the reasons I wanted to quit was to live longer and get to see my grandchildren grow up. I prayed each and every day. I bought the Lights, then the Ultra Lights. I started asking myself with each cigarette if I wanted the cigarette, or did I need it. After months of this intense study of my smoking career, I started to see things differently. I made myself realize how much it was costing me in money and in lost health with each choice to smoke or not to smoke. One night I had a dream and from this dream I was given the knowledge that the cravings have been removed and from now on it is merely a choice. I have been a nonsmoker since that dream... I am so grateful that I was given the grace to quit. I do know that my pure intentions to quit and heal and the many prayers that surrounded me have both had a great deal to do with my healing...

What freedom there is in not having something outside of me controlling me and my life. For years, I wouldn't go anywhere that didn't allow me to smoke. I limited myself to a very narrow life. Now I am free to go anywhere and everywhere and feel the gratitude of being free from the shackles of an addiction. Don't judge self or other. Just stay aware and the grace will come. If you are deeply honest and open about learning a better way to live your life, it will come to you. Keep the faith in yourself and your ability to do all things. Progress, not perfection, leads the way. — Shero

"After 20+ years of smoking I knew I couldn't do it alone. I also couldn't afford any of the methods advertised. When I was ready I requested prayer to help me quit smoking. God answers prayers. I quit without the normal withdrawal symptoms that you would expect. I know a lot of people would scoff at these words, but I know that it was God, because I also smoked when stressed and I was going through a lot during that time period. I felt no urge for a cigarette." — Robin S.

"The Bible says 'And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.'" After trying everything else like patches, sunflower seeds, "cold turkey", cutting back, blah blah blah, my "cure", if you will, I directly attribute to my Lord, Jesus Christ. The Bible says in Matthew 21:22 "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive"; Luke 11:9 "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you"; John 14:14 "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it," so I asked for my habit of two packs a day and addiction of 12+ years to be taken away, and it was. No side-effects, no cravings. It was as if I had never smoked." — Cathy D.

After trying to stop smoking for three years I finally did what I should have done in the first place. I went to the Lord Jesus and asked Him to help me stop. I told Him I would try stopping again the next morning. The next day came and I went to work as usual and didn't even think of it. It was like I had never smoked. I had smoked for 22 years. I haven't smoked for 20 years now. — Connie

This will sound strange to some, but as a devout catholic — a believer in the intercession of the saints — I made a great discovery! As you may know or perhaps have heard, Catholics have an asset called patron saints. They can cover anything from farmers (Isodore) to television (Clare) [professions] to maladies and afflictions... I wanted to quit and asked Matthias to intercede for me, and it worked! Now he isn't listed as the "patron of cigarette-quitters" but one catholic asked God's invention through the prayers of Matthias, the Apostle who replaced Judas, with successful results. About two hours after my prayer I lit up a cigarette and it tasted like — and I reacted to it like — I had never had a cigarette before." — F. Paul K.