Meet Brandie Duke

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Brandie Duke. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Brandie below.

Hi Brandie, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

I would like to say I found my purpose in life in the areas I once was lost and hurting in. For a very long time I couldn’t figure out what my purpose really was, I was more in survivor mode. I was to busy trying to figure out how to put food on the table and a roof over my families head being a provider. I found myself one day sitting in my bathroom crying asking God to show me what my purpose was in this life after an attempt to kill myself. I had been struggling with my mental illness of suicidal thoughts. My life hadn’t been one of those painted picture moments the world says it should be. See my world became revolved around peer survival. I was married at the age of 18, had two kids by the age of 20 and married to an addict,”thankful my husband is clean, sober and set free in Jesus name now.” I had always dreamed of this beautiful life and became angry that my life had ended up something completely different than what I had envisioned. By the age of 24 I had lost my brother from a drug deal gone bad, then my father past 2 years later. I felt so lost and alone. My husband’s addiction begin to sky rocket out of control and my kids and I were bouncing from homes to homes. I had dealt with a lot of pain in a very short period of time. During those moments in my life I felt very much alone, set apart and just lost! God reminded me in that bathroom my purpose was found in my hurt, that’s when I started to see God move in my life. I surrendered that day and gave God my whole heart without pause.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

If I could tell you one thing about me it’s that I LOVE GOD and I LOVE PEOPLE! Service work is where my heart shines. I love to give back to my community, people, friends and family. As I’ve been pressing into Gods word and fully relying on him he has opened so many doors with service work. I’m a huge advocate for the unhoused community. My family and I serve weekly at our local Homeless shelter, Compassionate Hands. As well we go into the homeless camps bringing supplies. We just enjoy being there and seeing people the way the Jesus sees them. We love on them the way Jesus would. You may ask why we do that it’s because that’s where we once was. Our family has been homeless and helpless at one point in our life. I also have a brother that currently is. See the truth is we can all judge them, but I would love to challenge you to just simply love them right where they are at in life. My focus is helping people rather thats listening to them, feeding them, praying with them, clothing them, giving a ride, sharing the gospel or mentoring them. I want these people to know what true love looks like not conditional love. That’s what the world teaches enough off, conditional love. It’s truly all about being available and making time for Kingdom work.
My heart is also for seeing women be set free from addiction, fear, oppression, poverty, relationships, negative self-talk, past trauma, shame, guilt, witchcraft, imprisonment etc. Anything they are bound to that isn’t of God. I was bound for a very long time and until i surrendered and gave my life to the Lord nothing changed in me. I was on a vicious downhill rollercoaster going nowhere. I now help lead a group called Women of War. We are a group of women who come from all areas of life rather you where an ex drug addict, dealer, a divorced woman, gang banger, or a lost soul , who’s life has been changed and set free in Jesus name. We are women who are loving the lost but loving them enough to not let them stay there in defeat. We meet once a month to fellowship, break bread praise and worship and help tear down the walls of Jericho in our lives. We mentor each other and keep each other accountable to what the living Word of God says(The Holy Bible)! We meet in Nashville and surrounding counties once a month in church’s, homes, conference centers basically anywhere that the lord calls us to. We have been giving God our yes for a while now and as of this year he has called us to even more. I’d like to share we are breaking new territory in Wilson County starting January 2025. Mainly in our Lebanon, Tn area. I will be the leader of this area and I’m so so excited to see what the lord is about to do with our YES. We will have our first meeting on January 18,2025 at 503 Wildcat Way Lebanon,Tn. 6:30PM.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I would have to say a quality I have learned over the years is just simply listening. I mean listening to understand instead of listening to just respond. I’d also say I’ve learned to challenge the way one thinks, sometimes they only know what they’ve been taught so I challenge them to do the research and ask God for direction. Discernment is a good skill to have, it took me awhile to learn that after many trail by fires. It has been the most useful thing in my life today besides the Holy Spirit living in me. If I could share a piece of advice it would be to allow yourself to be corrected by others, sometimes we just don’t know it all and we don’t have to take offense to everything. Most valuable lesson is repentance isn’t a bad thing, Learning to repent daily has changed my walk with the lord for the better. We should want to shed things that break our father’s heart. It has truly helped me to live a more holy life. Less of me more of him(Jesus).

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I’m always looking to collaborate with like minded people. Proverbs 27:17 says this ,As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. I’m looking for people who are ready or wanting to learn to lay down their life and pick up their cross and bare it. People who love the lord and love people. People who have a heart that is set on loving others.
Anyone can connect with me through FB
@Brandie Duke or instagram brandiejd04.
If your in the Nashville or surrounding counties please come and rage war against the enemy with our Women of War group.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @Brandiejd04
• Facebook: @Brandie Duke