Praise Report: Overcame Long-Term Habit Of Nail Biting By God’s Grace

I am twenty-eight years old. Since young, I have had a bad habit of biting my fingernails. Friends and family would constantly tell me how unclean, unprofessional, and mangled my fingers looked.

Once, a friend’s dad even offered me $20 if I could go on for a week without biting my nails. I could not do it. On another occasion, I landed in hospital on Christmas Eve with a bacterial infection. It required a doctor to surgically cut open my pinky finger to deal with the infection.

I even tried hypnosis several years ago at the advice of a friend. It worked for a few months but the bad habit returned.

Finally, in February 2014, I heard Joseph Prince share in one of his sermons about a man who had quit smoking. He shared how the man gave up on his self-effort and declared, “God, I cannot but You can,” whenever he had the desire to smoke. I began to do the same.

I gnawed at my fingernails while muttering at my desk during work, “God, I can’t stop biting my nails. Only You can stop this habit.” One day, I ceased to have the desire to bite my fingernails, and have not bitten them for one-and-a-half years now.

Indeed, these habits are not overcome by human willpower or hypnosis. Only God can affect true inner change through grace given to us by Jesus Christ.

God bless you, Joseph Prince, for your ministry of God’s grace throughout the world!

Neil S | Virginia, United States

2 Comments

  • Langabi Shakespear Ngomane says:

    I have the same problem of nail biting. It is sad because my daughter has copied it and she is even worse. Thank you for the inspiration. I know the Lord will help me and my daughter too. Amen.

  • Jack Straw says:

    I too was cured of my nail biting by Jesus! I spent 52 years with the ugliest, most terrible finger nails you could imagine. Literally sitting on my hands in business meetings to protect myself from being judged by the condition of my hands. One day, I bit and injured a nail. The pain and blood got my attention and I just was at my wits end. A voice in my head said “Why don’t you as Me to help you?” I realized I have never asked Jesus for help with my nails, so I repented of my nail baiting and asked Jesus to help me stop. BAM! that was the last time I ever bit them. Now later 3 months later my nails are healthy and strong and I am so proud of them and so in awe of Jesus Christ!

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