Honest Question, no scold or encouragement wanted

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SunsSunny

Senior Member
#21
Oct 24, 2016
137
8
0
#21
From my personal experience with addiction, I have found it utterly important to listen to Holy Spirit.

He will say stop, put the cigarette in your pocket for 20 minutes.

Just as we need his strength and our daily bread, so too we call upon his strength for each and every individual battle.

He will say go take a shower.
The enemy will respond : just twenty minutes? You think you can last that long? Then what? Smoke it now, or throw the whole pack away if you dare ! Can you even do that?

The enemy will try to drown out the gentle voice of Holy Spirit with his noise.

But it is important to discern what God is saying to you! And obey. Think of this battle, this victory, this moment. Don't think of the long war ahead, that is the enemy's way of filling you with despair.

Next time Holy Spirit says don't, listen. Fight this one moment, this one cigarette. Celebrate that one victory with Him, praise him and thank him and even if you are craving during the very victory celebration , press on.

Listen to His gentle instruction. Step by step he will carry you through.

And remember when you stumble that a righteous man (or woman-lady in fact for you :) you are a lady, His lovely lady) stumbles seven times but picks himself up seven times .

So walk in confidence of His strength for the upcoming battle , and conquer alongside him one cigarette at a time, one day at a time :).

God bless you and strengthen you to defeat that which you must have his strength to conquer. Do not be afraid to be weak and dependent, every moment every hour. In our need his gracious provision is abundant ! In our weakness his magnificent strength overcomes!

God bless you my beautiful sister in Christ, do not despair for He sees your desire for freedom, and he will not refuse such a good gift to his beloved daughter!
 
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mikeys4grace

Banned
#22
Oct 16, 2016
80
6
0
#22
(
SunsSunny said:
From my personal experience with addiction, I have found it utterly important to listen to Holy Spirit.

He will say stop, put the cigarette in your pocket for 20 minutes.

Just as we need his strength and our daily bread, so too we call upon his strength for each and every individual battle.

He will say go take a shower.
The enemy will respond : just twenty minutes? You think you can last that long? Then what? Smoke it now, or throw the whole pack away if you dare ! Can you even do that?

The enemy will try to drown out the gentle voice of Holy Spirit with his noise.

But it is important to discern what God is saying to you! And obey. Think of this battle, this victory, this moment. Don't think of the long war ahead, that is the enemy's way of filling you with despair.

Next time Holy Spirit says don't, listen. Fight this one moment, this one cigarette. Celebrate that one victory with Him, praise him and thank him and even if you are craving during the very victory celebration , press on.

Listen to His gentle instruction. Step by step he will carry you through.

And remember when you stumble that a righteous man (or woman-lady in fact for you :) you are a lady, His lovely lady) stumbles seven times but picks himself up seven times .

So walk in confidence of His strength for the upcoming battle , and conquer alongside him one cigarette at a time, one day at a time :).

God bless you and strengthen you to defeat that which you must have his strength to conquer. Do not be afraid to be weak and dependent, every moment every hour. In our need his gracious provision is abundant ! In our weakness his magnificent strength overcomes!

God bless you my beautiful sister in Christ, do not despair for He sees your desire for freedom, and he will not refuse such a good gift to his beloved daughter!
Click to expand...
Hi. What a nice encouragement from a new member!
Yes, it can sometimes be this way. A moment. Then it passes.
Then back, Then it passes with more time between. Then again.
Each time can be used to draw near to God.

If one looks at a craving as an attack by the enemy, trying to pull you away from Jesus, that's a golden opportunity to draw near to him as Savior and shield.
The bible says to draw near to God and the enemy must flee.

And, much like how the Lord can use illness to bring us closer to Him, (notice how if we're sick in bed, we're kind of a captive audience, He's got our attention, although I don't wish this for anyone) but in a similar way, when we're trying to recover or get victory over an addiction or some besetting sin, we can, first of all, accept that He doesn't condemn us or want to punish us, ... a bruised reed He will not break, ...

and second, we can then go with confidence to Him, knowing He cares for us and wants what's best for us, (He's already given us His Best, ... Jesus), and He will give us what we need to overcome.

But really, it doesn't necessarily have to be a gut-wrenching, nail-biting fiasco.
Often times, if we're truly sincere in asking Him, saying,
'Lord, I want to be done with this. I know it's not good, Father,
and I genuinely want to have this put behind me once and for all!

I know it was wrong for so long, I am in agreement with you about it,
but I really have been involved with it for so long, I just don't think I have the strength to overcome it.
Would you please remove the desire for it, and keep me in your grace to rise above it.
Please grant me to be washed clean from this past addiction, Lord, and lead me in your way everlasting. Thank you, Lord, for your love, and the victory in Jesus' name. Amen.'

Now I know that's not some magic formula, but the intent of the heart in words like that, should help bring victory. Surely our heavenly Father is able and willing to do for us amazing things.
I don't think He takes pleasure in seeing us bound up in sin if we're sincerely asking Him to help us stop. He's a good, good Father. :)
 
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mikeys4grace

Banned
#23
Oct 16, 2016
80
6
0
#23
Surely our heavenly Father is able and willing to do for us amazing things.
I don't think He takes pleasure in seeing us bound up in sin if we're sincerely asking Him to help us stop. He's a good, good Father.
Click to expand...
(Sorry, just wanted to qualify)....I don't think He 'takes pleasure in seeing us bound up in sin' EVER ... not just if we're sincerely asking Him for help, .... (the above was poorly worded.)

He also says He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, and that it's not His will that any should perish, but that all should come to repentence.

So you can see the great love He has for us, ...
While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, and,
we love because He first loved us, ...

And His love continues, to help in any way needed ...
...He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all,
How shall He not WITH HIM also freely give us all things? ...

That is our awesome God and Savior, our heavenly Father!
Thank you, Jesus!
 
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