2 Chronicles 29:1?11 (5)
My wife and I sat in our new convert’s living room. We had been meeting weekly for some time for Bible study. She seemed to be hungry to learn from the Bible. She seemed to want to live for the Lord. The Bible studies seemed to be helping her learn what it really meant to be a Christian. Beside her on her couch was her ever present pack of cigarettes and lighter. We had just finished the study for the day. The subject had been temptation. In preparation for prayer I asked if she had any temptations or difficulties in our life that she would like me to pray about. Without hesitation she said, “My cigarettes. I want to quit smoking but I can’t.” We prayed for her deliverance and then left.
Daily thereafter, my wife and I prayed that God would help her be delivered. I noticed on subsequent visits, however, that the cigarettes were still at her side. When she expressed that she was still struggling with her addition I explained that as long as we carry around our temptation and have it available the less likely we will be to resist. If you want to stop smoking you stop buying cigarettes. You throw away those that you have. If you want to stop drinking alcohol you throw away the beer that is in your refrigerator and you stop going to the beer join. This applies to every temptation or addiction that we may battle. We can never be separated for God until we separate ourselves from the things that draw us away from Him.
by Dr. Gayle Woods