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“After my divorce, I began to smoke a pack of cigarettes a day to numb the loneliness and heartbreak. Prayer used to give me comfort, but I blamed God for my anger and hurt…so I traded prayer time for smoke breaks.
“The one thing that brought me peace was the long hike I’d take in the mountains near my home each weekend. But when I began to get winded and couldn’t make the climb, I knew I needed to quit smoking. Every time I tried, though, I failed miserably. Down and dark, I went to bed one night feeling defeated. As I drifted off to sleep, I said a prayer for the first time in ages: Lord, I’m hurting myself but I can’t quit. Why am I so weak?
"Suddenly, I felt a warmth on my shoulder, like a loving hand, as a quiet voice echoed in my spirit: You don’t have to fight this alone. Let Me be your strength.“ In tears, I realized I’d been wrong all along—I thought if I fought hard enough, I could free myself from the heartache of my divorce and overcome the urge to smoke. But I didn’t have to fight alone…I have an all-powerful God who will fight for me.
“After that night, each time I craved a cigarette or felt heartbroken, I asked the Lord to step in, and slowly my need to smoke lessened, I felt more peace and I was able to hike again. Most of all, I learned that with God, there is no battle we can’t win.”
—Norma Hillsong, 31, Denver