Dearest brothers & sisters in Yeshua:

I am in desperate need of prayers!  I have been a smoker for over 35 years now (since I was 18!)!  The Lord has been giving me signs that He wanted me to quit for the last 2 months now (at least, that's when I first began really noticing it).

For one thing, my hand would begin going numb on me from time to time while I was on the computer.  For another, a Messianic Jewish brother in Yeshua (whom I've been corresponding with on matters of Christianity, via email since he first became a Christian 2 years ago) wrote me about a month ago, and was worried SICK about me.  He said he'd had a dream the night before that I had come to their home (he and his wife live in a different state) and was in tears because the doctor had told me that I was in my last stages of breast cancer.  He asked if I was doing OK, and said he'd been worried sick about me.  I told him I was fine, that the Lord has always, since I was tiny, taken care of me above & beyond all expectations.  He said OK, that he doesn't usually have dreams of that nature for no reason, and was very concerned.
Then last Tuesday, 5/30/06, I came home from work with 100.8 fever.  I went to work the next day anyway, even though my temp was 100.5, because we had a special report due out, I thought that week.  By the time I arrived home, it was 101, and I could hardly breathe.  We went to the doctor on Thursday. It was agony walking there with Richard (and I'm usually a real fast walker, even WITH my long-term smoking habit!)... I had to almost come to a complete halt after about 10 steps to catch my breath!  After checking me over, the doctor determined that I had bronchitis (first time ever for me).  He gave me some antibiotic samples, as well as samples of allergy spray and pills, etc.  I was still smoking as of that time (though, granted, less than normal), and I could walk about a foot, and have to bend over a table or chair to gasp for breath!  I didn't think I'd ever get to sleep that night.
Friday, at 2 p.m., I had my last cigarette!  I still had 18 packs left, which Richard threw into the fire on our grill yesterday morning (6/3/06), and prayed for deliverance for me.  When we came into the house, he anointed my head with perfume oil, and prayed for me.  When he did that, I began weeping!  As he says, we grieve over our sins!
Would you PLEASE pray Yahweh's strength on me for this?  I need to be strong, and I know after that many years of addiction, and hanging around with Christian GFs & brothers at work who are also smokers, and riding to/from work with a smoker, it's going to be VERY hard on me to resist.  But I want Yahweh to be proud of me, and I don't ever want to give into the temptation again!  I want the smell of cigarettes and the idea of the taste of them to offend me as much as they must offend Him!
Thanks, brothers & sisters, and I love you in Yeshua!
All praise be to El Shaddai forever!

Peggy

www.his-forever.com