God please help me quit smoking

Here are 7 of my favorite Bible verses for those who want to quit smoking. What ones could you suggest?

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

What seems impossible to do without God’s help? Overcoming sin; and pretty much everything else! We can do all things through Christ who will strengthen us but the opposite must necessarily be true; we can do nothing without Him unless He strengthens us.  If you think you can overcome on your own, you are sorely mistaken.  I know of many who have needed God’s power through His Spirit to overcome smoking, drugs, pornography, alcohol or any other number of addictions but I have yet to meet one who did it successfully on their own.  Paul said that we can do all things but it must be through Christ, which means that it must be done through His power, because that is where the true strength lies…the power doesn’t lay within me to overcome anything.  This is why God is glorified; because it is through Christ and not through ourselves, that we can do all things because He is the One Who strengthens us because we don’t have that kind of strength within us.

Matthew 19:26 “But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

I realize that the context of this is about the rich being able to enter heaven but the principle remains the same.  With human strength, it is impossible to overcome certain sins or addictions that have such a stronghold on us but with God, all things are possible.  With us, nothing is possible, but with God, all things are; at least in the context of it being in God’s will and we know that God’s will for our life is to live a life that is as free from encumbrances as possible.

John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

If we are abiding in Christ that means that He’s abiding in us and when we are, we can bear much fruit but apart from Christ, we can’t do just a little or just a bit; we can do nothing apart from Him.  There is power in the Word of God (Rom 1:16; 10:17) and there is power in His Spirit (Acts 1:8) but apart from abiding in Him and in His Word, there is no power.  Jesus is proclaimed to be the Word (John 1:1, 14) and by abiding in Him and in the Word of God, you can faith because faith comes by hearing the Word (Rom 10:17) so if we are attached to the vine, that is Christ, we can bear godly fruit; if we’re not abiding or attached to the vine, Jesus says “you can do nothing” and that doesn’t mean “a little something.”

1 Corinthians 6:12 “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything.”

How many times when I was struggling with overcoming my addiction to marijuana, did I feel dominated by it?  All the time!  This verse never really made much sense to me until I realized that I was being dominated by a substance.  I was using marijuana and I had possession of it but it really had possession of me.  All things like smoking and drinking might be legal but that doesn’t mean it’s helpful.  Abortion is lawful but that certainly doesn’t mean it’s right!  Pray for God to release you from the bondage of nicotine addiction. Perhaps you can ask your doctor for the patch or whatever else he or she might suggest.  It might be lawful but is it helpful?

Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

I used to run track in high school but during practice, we had to wear ankle weights.  These built up our leg muscles and our endurance but we never ran a race with them on.  We are in a race today…and we need to lay aside every weight that “clings so closely” to us so that we can “run with endurance the race that is set before us.”  This “weight,” whether it’s smoking, drinking, pornography, gambling, or any other addiction, can slow us down in the race and it can take away our testimony.  It can also make us feel so guilty that we won’t be witnessing for Christ because we’ll feel like hypocrites.  At least that is what many tell me.

1 Corinthians 10:23 “I have the right to do anything, you say–but not everything is beneficial. I have the right to do anything–but not everything is constructive.”

As I wrote earlier, even though we are under grace and not under law, we can’t use our liberty as a license to sin.  I am not saying smoking is sin.  For some they feel no guilt about it and I will not judge them if they don’t think it’s sin for them because we are all at different stages in our life and sanctification takes a lifetime.  Jesus did say “it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person” (Matt 15:11), although He was certainly not talking about smoking, but the principle is close to the same thing.

Ephesians 4:22 “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.”

We are new creations or creatures in Christ and that means “The old has gone, the new is here” (2 Cor 5:17) but it doesn’t happen overnight.  God will give us new desires and make us want to avoid sins but remember that Paul struggled with his human nature, writing “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing” (Rom 7:19).  There are many so-called spiritual giants but they too struggled with sin and overcoming is always difficult but the good news is that you’re in a struggle because those who are not saved see no reason to struggle to overcome because they’re not convicted of their sins.

Conclusion

Peter said “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us” (Matt 19:27)?  Jesus said “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life” (Matt 19:29).  Focus on one thing at a time.  There are many Christian recovery programs that can help us overcome drugs, alcohol, pornography, gambling, and addictions to nicotine.  I am not classifying smoking in the same category with these other things but I am only suggesting that you can have the power of God’s Spirit, abiding in Christ and in His Word, the Bible, and joining a Christian addiction recovery group because all of these taken together can really help you.  When you do all these in combination, truly you can do all things because Christ Himself will strengthen you (Phi 4:13).

Here is some more encouragement for you: With God All Things Are Possible

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Please contact us if you have any questions or comments or would just like some encouragement?

My worst habit used to be smoking but I quit. ~ Katherine Heigl

Romans 7:14-20 “We know that the law is spiritual, but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.” 

Do You Want To Quit Smoking Now? Lung.org

I would be very proud to have influenced anyone that I know or don’t know to quit smoking. ~ Christy Turlington

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Quit Smoking Now You Will Be Glad You Did!

You know that smoking is not good for you, the good news is that there is help for you to quit!

When I first started smoking, it was exciting, cool, impressive, and it seemed just the right thing to do. 

When I wanted to quit smoking, and I did not have the power to do so! My encouragement to you is do not stop trying! 

Trust me, it does get better, and you will look back and wish you quit sooner but thank God you could stop. Don’t wait another day, quit smoking now!

I earnestly tried for a couple of years to quit smoking, but with no luck at all. I was a heavy smoker of 2-3 packs a day.

Ask God to help you and also ask those people in your life to help you too. It will most likely not be effortless to do, but once you get 24, 48, 72, 96 hours without a cigarette, you will be on the way to a smoke-free life again! I quit on January 10th, 1988 which was one of the smartest things I did for myself besides quitting drugs and alcohol. ~ Bill Greguska

Here Are Some Helpful Links:

• How can I overcome sin in my Christian life?
• I am a Christian who is addicted to smoking. How can I quit?
• What does the Bible say about habits?
• Why are there times when God seems silent/absent in a believer’s life?
• Why is “the devil made me do it” not a valid excuse?

Helpful Resources About Quitting Smoking Cigarettes

1. How to handle withdrawal symptoms and triggers, when you decide to quit smoking.
2. How much money are your additions costing you, use this calculator?
3. Smoking relapse: What to do if you start smoking again?

You Can Quit Anything With God’s Help For:

• 15 minutes
• 30 minutes
• 1 hour
• 3 hours
• 8 hours and longer

Then with God’s help, there is hope for you to quit ANY addiction or a bad habit that has put you in chains.  Go for the goal of 24 hours, then two days, four days, seven days, and so forth. Do it One Day At A Time! I am not saying it will be easy, but with God all things are possible!

Chat for some help and encouragement Or call 1-800-633-3446

Quit Smoking For Good And Feel Good About Yourself!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSBqtshlIms

Do You Want To Quit Smoking Now?

Do your life a favor. Quit smoking now!

Make It Your Goal To Go For 24 Hours!

In doing so, you will be on your way to stopping smoking. 

The first few days will be the hardest, but after that, you will gain confidence and will be able to break the habit with God’s help like I was able to do.

Doing 24 hours without a cigarette is a significant step towards quitting smoking cigarettes, keep doing one day at a time, and if by possibility you fail when you try, get right back up there and try again!

Fantastic Health Benefits After You Quit Too!

Two to Three Months After You Quit Smoking

• Improved circulation
• Walking becomes easier
• Lung function increases up to 30%

One To Nine Months After You Quit Smoking

• Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath decrease
• Increased ability to clear the lungs of mucus. Fewer colds and respiratory infections

One Year After You Quit Smoking

• Risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a smoker

Five Years After You Quit Smoking

• Stroke risk is reduced to that of a person who has never smoked

Ten Years After You Quit Smoking

• Lung cancer death rate drops to half that of a continuing smoker
• Likelihood of cancer in the throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decreases

Fifteen Years After You Quit Smoking

• Risk of occurrence of coronary heart disease is like that of a person who has never smoked

Statistics from The American Cancer Society

Discover What Happens When You Quit Smoking Now!

I would be very proud to have influenced anyone that I know or don’t know to quit smoking. ~ Christy Turlington

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Obvious Reasons To Learn How To Quit Smoking Now!

• I do not want my children ever to smoke or be damaged by my smoking.
• There are better ways to spend my money.
• I would rather be healthy.
• Having yellow teeth and brown fingers are not attractive.
• No one wants to kiss an ashtray.
• Tar belongs on the street, not in my lungs.
• Coughing is not a neat thing.
• Smoker’s breath is gross.
• Smoking pollutes the air for others that I care about.

Related Pages Of Encouragement:

• 12 Step program
• Addictions
• Alcohol and drugs
• Bad habits
• Test for addiction

A Special Link for a Little Extra Encouragement

Find Hope And Encouragement From Our Links!

1. If you just started believing in God, we have a page specifically for you.
2. If you are dealing with anger, stress, or depression, we have information that can be of help to you.
3. We have phone helplines, website links, youtube videos.
4. You can learn more about us and our goals and our purpose.
5. If you have a drug/alcohol problem, or if you want to get right with God you are at the right place!
6. If you need to talk to someone right away, you can call 800-633-3446 or click here.
7. Finally, if you have any questions, or would like to get on our email list, just let us know.

For Encouragement Call 1-800-633-3446 or Chat

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The following is an exchange of emails between a struggling saint and myself.  It tells a a story that you may need to hear.  I pray it witnesses to you in time to avoid regret that may have eternal consequences.  Take this before the Lord in prayer.

I am a Christian and love the Lord with every fiber of my being. In these last days we’re living in, it is critically important to stay in constant prayer and repentance, to be found worthy of Him when He comes. But I have been struggling with the addiction to cigarettes. I pray daily, sometimes several times a day, for the Lords help to stop smoking. I have tried every method that is available with no success and lately I am on my knees, weeping and literally begging for the Lords help. I have given it to the Lord, but then I take it back over and over, not knowing if He would have me continually try to quit. Usually when He speaks to me, it’s a gentle nudge but this thought of quitting is a driving force, always on my mind. Maybe because our time is so very short….I’m just not sure. I’ve always been taught that we must give over our problems to God, and wait for His answer. But with this, I don’t want to wait because I certainly don’t want something like this to get in the way of my salvation. I don’t even know if it will but I don’t want to take that chance! Aside from this, I strive to walk a holy life, always praying and seeking God’s guidance, as well as telling others about Him.

It is with great empathy that I tell you what I am about to tell you. I deeply feel your pain in this struggle.

There is only one thing that I know of that can make a person quit smoking. Fear. Powerful fear. The kind of fear that words cannot describe. The problem we have as “itchy ears” Christians of the 20th and 21st Century is that we were never taught the fundamentals of Christianity. Fire and brimstone teachings were washed away with the “once saved always saved” devils doctrine. When Jesus said “If your eye offends thee pluck it out” … He meant it. Jesus wasn’t kidding.

Matt 18:8-9

8 “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.
NKJV

Let me tell you I tried every trick in the book to reason with God over smoking. Even though I KNEW my own mother was spoken to “out loud” by God to “put that cigarette down!!!” and that the book I read by Charles and Francis Hunter made it extremely clear the “smoking was sinning”, I kept thinking it would be okay with Jesus. Jesus would cut me a special break on smoking.

This verse has always worried me.

1 Cor 3:17
7 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
KJV

But the FINAL straw was when I prayed in tears and opened up a 400,000 word Thesaurus and it fell open to a page with the word “BACKSLIDDEN”

The Lord knew that I was horrified about missing the rapture of the Bride.

Eph 5:27
(…) that He might present her to Himself a glorious church , not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
NKJV

My Bible studies, which are arguably extremely advanced, have taught me that being a “Wise Virgin” (Matthew 25) and making the rapture includes a “possible” (but not guaranteed) invitation to the Wedding Supper. ALSO there is a book which I agree with entitled The 1,000 Year Millennium of Jesus Christ … Will You Make It?. You see, people don’t realize that they are not only jeopardizing their eligibility for the rapture of the Bride, but they are jeopardizing their “eternal standing” in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ through forfeited “Inheritance”.

Gal 5:19-21
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
NKJV

When I opened up that Thesaurus (called “casting of lots”) and saw the impossible word from the Lord “backslidden”, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was NOT going to make the rapture for sure and it might be MUCH worse.

I burst into tears and cried my way to Walgreens and bought the 22 mg Nicoderm clear patches. I quit drinking ANY alcohol and I MADE DARN SURE that I was not around ANY temptation.

There is ONE other time I quit smoking in my life prior to this last time. Cancer. I received an intermediate diagnosis of possible throat cancer and it scared me so desperately bad that I cried and cried and cried for hours and hours in my bed to the Lord. I was HORRIFIED. Praise Jesus the final diagnosis was not cancer, but I QUIT SMOKING just the same.

FEAR ….

Do NOT wait until you are being escorted to HELL by a seething demon to have enough FEAR to quit.
QUIT NOW
IN JESUS NAME

Ps 111:10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom
NKJV

Matt 7:14
Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
NKJV

Matt 4:5
7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”
NKJV

www.tribulation-now.org

299 – 09/07/09

I have had my quit counter going since I had my last cigarette and today it kicked over into 6 years.

Thanks to the WhyQit web site I managed to stop and 6 years on am still “quit”.

Unfortunately both my parents died in 2007 from their smoking. Mum @76 from emphysema and Dad at 77 from lung cancer.

Neither saw my son get into medical school (both had hoped for it but never saw it happen) nor are they here now to count the days/hours until their oldest granddaughter has twins – the first twins in our family!

There was an anti smoking advertisement in Australia many years ago that showed pictures of older non-smokers at significant life points of their family lives watching their children, grand-children, great-grand-children and being there and then they were contrasted with the smokers who were “dead… dead ….and still dead” at these same times. This year I have fully appreciated this message – they have missed so much and we all miss them too.

However – I’m still celebrating as I am so very glad to be quit. My brother who smoked 50 a day quit 2.5 years ago after watching our mum die of emphysema.

Take care of yourselves and don’t smoke any more of that horrible poison!

TMS
Perth Western Australia

whyquit.com