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Nicole's Story
NICOLE'S STORY
Nicole, Savannah, Georga, recently placed a prayer request on our Prayer Request Page asking that we'd pray for her husband and their marriage. Below is a praise report she sent and it includes her story. It is written with her permission and exactly as she wrote it. We give God thanks for all that He is doing and will continue to pray for Nicole and Ashely.
Dear Christian Family,
You are so beautiful. Thank you for praying for me. May the Lord answer all your prayers. I always try to keep my e-mail short and direct but I am breaking those rules today. So many have responded to my prayer requests I just want to share my testimony. This e-mail is about one and 1/3 pages long.
My husband and I were supposed to be divorced on April 1st. He is a drug addict. I did not want to divorce him and I was believing in faith that God would stop it from happening.
I got serious about asking for my miracle. I started studying intercessory prayer. I was calling and e-mailing prayer groups locally, and around the world. I even had my exterminator praying for me. As he was spraying for roaches, he was annointing my house with prayer. I had always tithed but I started presenting love offerings before the Lord. I started fasting as well, and when I was too weary to go on, others fasted for me. I bought myself a little bottle of olive oil and I annointed my husband's clothes with it. I was praying in tongues over his underwear, I was hiding little bible verses in his shoes and in his truck--I was Serious about my miracle.
I was an exotic dancer for thirteen years. I met my husband at my work. I did not realize it at the time but he was a drug addict. We fell in love before I realized he had a problem. He introduced me to his family who were Christians and he and his family got me to start attending church. I loved it! It was so hard to go to church during the week and then drive to the club and do lapdances. Though my husband, Ashley, (we were not married at the time) had encouraged me to start attending church, he was very much involved in drugs and ended up in jail. Due to his behavior I refused to communicate with him. It was a very sad time. I remember at one point after work I lay in bed and I told God, "I don't know how I am going to quit dancing, I have so many bills. But if in the meantime while I work this thing out if there is anyway that you can come into my heart and save me, please do so. I want you to be my Saviour."
I had always known exotic dancing was wrong but I treated it just like a business. I was very professional, I always made the most money, and I never did drugs like those "other" girls. My problem for a long time was my own goodness. I didn't behave like an exotic dancer so I rationalized that what I did was okay. Except many a night through the years I would lay in bed at night late after work and know that I was going to hell for what I did.
Well, not more than a couple days passed after I said that prayer, and I was driving to work. There was a road block up ahead. Police were checking the cars. I was irrationally afraid. I had a pickup truck and sometimes people would throw their beer cans into the bed of the truck. There were a few back there, and as I waited, I searched for my insurance card and registration. I couldn't find it for some reason. I was frantic. I knew somehow the reason I was afraid wasn't because of the roadblock. The roadblock was my life and the approaching checkpoint was my judgement and I was going to come up short.
Right beyond that was the club where I worked.
Suddenly, I heard a voice. I don't know if it was audible or if it was in my head. I would have to describe that it came from inside of me, above me, and all around me. All I can say with certainty was that it was a voice that had to be obeyed. It said, "Go home. Your done. I'll get you through this roadblock but you need to turn around and go home."
I was shocked. The police waved me through, I drove to the club parking lot. The bouncer came out to escort me into the club. I told him I was going home. I looked in my glove compartment and suddenly the insurance card and registration were there. I drove home and I never went back there again.
For the first couple of days I was in shock. I kept telling myself I have too many bills, it would be irresponsible of me not to go back to work, I had just ate something bad, it was my imagination etc. I had convinced myself that whatever happened that night was a figment of my imagination. I got ready for work. I remember the moment distinctly. I was in the shower shaving my legs with a venus razor. Something was letting me know that whatever kind of protection and grace that had been provided for me up until this point of my life was being removed. It explained that I had been protected from harm thus far (probably due to the prayers of loved ones) but if I went back to that club tonight something terrible was going to happen. Not only that, I realized that this was my last chance for salvation. I knew after this somehow, I would not have another chance again. Looking back, I now realize that the Holy Spirit was speaking to me. But I was determined to go back, even with this revelation because I thought in my humanly wisdom that I was doing the right thing. So I was in the shower and I had decided my fate when the phone rang.
It was Ashley from jail. He had called, he thought I was at work, he just wanted to see if he could even call my phone from jail. I didn't want to talk to him but I started pouring out to him what had happened. He convinced me not to go to work that night and started ministering to me and telling me scriptures and bible verses that I could use and how I could combat the devil. He kept encouraging me for the next few days until I completely submitted to the Holy Spirit.
We were married. Life has not been easy. I drew a line in the sand and never looked back. I embraced God. It has not been as easy for Ashley. He continues to struggle with drugs. But God used him to save my life. God used him to get me into a wonderful church, and He used Ashley to get me to join the choir. But due to his behavior with drugs I was ready to divorce him. Even my conservative Pentecostal pastor had strongly encouraged me to do this. I kicked him out and I was willing to do whatever it takes to save his life. I told God I would trust Him for the results. I was giving Ashley up to God. For encouragement I constantly had on TBN and INSP and when I was in my car, I was listening to the Christian radio station. And, I had all of your prayers going up before the Lord.
April 1st has come and gone and Ashley and I are not divorced. I know it's a miracle because I was ready to do that if it was the Lord's will. I had not spoken to Ashley in over a month when he showed up at my doorstep Easter evening with money in hand that I desperately needed. He looked terrible, but there was a peace about him that I hadn't seen in almost a year. Not only did he not want the divorce, he went to my lawyer and the judge to try and stop it. It was very sweet. It made me feel loved, and he has signed the documents to hand over all of his paycheck to me. I believe Ashley has a long way to go but I am standing in faith that God is going to completely heal him of his addiction and save our marriage.
Sincerely,
Nicole
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