ALL I NEED IS YOU!

Originally posted Dec. 30, 2007


OK, so I have had quite a few opportunities lately to share my testimony of how God set me free from an addiction to nicotine. . .so I thought now would be a good time to blog it. As many of you know, and some of you may not know, nicotine is more addictive than heroine. So kicking it is extremely hard. For me, it was impossible. I know, I tried many times. I even tried a six week on-line program offered by the American Lung Association. Didn't work for me. BUT, there is a God Who makes impossibilities become reality and I call Him Daddy!! He is my God and I am about to tell you what He can do!

On June 25th of 2006 I was in a church service at my church, AHOP in Xenia. It was a day just like any other Sunday. Worship was rockin as usual! But suddenly, I felt God speaking to my heart. "Take your cigarettes out of your purse and give them to Pastor Mark." Who happened to be worshipping just 5 feet from where I was. It was so clear it startled me! I thought to myself that it couldn't be God asking me to do that. After all He knows I tried and tried to give them up. "I said, 'Take your cigarettes out of your purse and give them to Pastor Mark.'" Oh boy! Now I KNEW it was God because my heart was about to pound out of my chest and I could not ignore it!
SO, I decided to try to "reason" with God "God, You know I would love to be able to quit, but I've tried. And if I hand Mark my smokes, as soon as I get out of here I am gonna be a hypocrite because I know I will want one so badly, and I won't be able to resist the addiction. . .especially since my husband smokes too." Good argument huh? Yeah, it didn't work with God!! "Take your cigarettes out of your purse and hand them to Pastor Mark." He wasn't budging. I thought I had come up with some pretty solid arguments, but He wasn't seeing things my way!
I must have argued with Him through 2 or 3 songs. . .yeah, I knew my addiction and the power it had over me, I just didn't KNOW the power of my GOD! Then the worship team began to sing a song called "All I Need Is You", originally recorded by Hillsong United. Then God really began to minister to me.
"You know Andi, I love you, and I want you free from this addiction that is killing you and stealing your money. I understand you cannot do it yourself, and I don't expect you to. I need you to trust Me. I am all you need Andi. You don't need those cigarettes, and if you will give them to Pasor Mark like I am asking you to, I will set you free. You will never want one again!"
That was it! If I know anything in this life it is that I can completely trust my Father! I turned and unzipped my purse and grabbed the pack out of it. Frank looked at me like, "WHAT are you doing?" I just smiled at him and turned toward my pastor and walked over and put my pack of cigarettes on his chest, holding them there with one finger, looked him in his eyes and said, "I don't need these anymore Pastor Mark! HE is all I need!" He smiled and took the cigarettes and put them in his shirt pocket and hugged me and gave me a big high 5!! I went back to my seat and worshipped God with all my heart!
Once worship was coming to a close, Pastor Mark went to the stage and shared with everyone what I had just done. . . the place absolutely ERUPTED in praise!! The band continued to play. He threw the cigarettes on the ground and stomped on them, then threw them in the aisle and invited anyone with addictions, life controlling problems or any area in their life where they needed to put the devil under their feet, to come up and as a symbol to God and the devil stomp on those cigarettes and claim victory over whatever it is they are going through!! People began coming up one at a time faster and faster until their was a line of people waiting. The band played and played songs of praise and worship, people got out of their seats and worshipped, there were people all over the auditorium praying for one another. Some were weeping and some were shouting. People were being set free from all kinds of things!! This went on for two hours!! And the aisle filled up with cigarette packs! Pastor Mark never preached that day. . .as he put it, he "stepped aside and GOD preached!" What an amazing day that was!! So many people came and thanked me for being obedient to what God said. That one little act of obedience cut the place loose in God and He moved in such an amazing way!! People were changed that day, never to be the same. I know I was!
Maybe you are wondering what happened after the service when I walked out of the building and went home. NOTHING!! That's right, not even once since that day have I EVER even had the smallest incling of a desire for a cigarette!! As a matter of fact the smell makes me sick to my stomach and gives me headaches! I think God did that to keep me free from that addiction ever coming back!!
Now that song is a special love song between me and my God! It's "our song".
Yes, freedom feels great!!!