EP 63 The Value of God's Word in Your Life - Debbie Barker

Every day I'm either contributing or contaminating my relationships with God, with my husband, with my family. So I am making a choice. Are my words life-giving? Are my words life-giving? Welcome to iRefresh, where we talk about the power of prayer in God's Word. Welcome to another episode. My friend Debbie Barker is with me. Welcome. Thank you. Great to be with you, Cheryl. I'm so glad you're with me. And we go back, actually our first round, we will make it short, but we went back to where we've been to a lot of pageants. We have. We have. We probably met or knew each other a little bit from ORU days, but then reconnected at the Miss Oklahoma pageant, where we were supporting our friends. Yes, but Debbie has been involved in ministry since you left college or probably before college, but she's been doing ministry for quite some time. And then now you're part of a pastoral staff. Yes, yes. And so we just wanted to have an opportunity today for you just to share what's on your heart about just the power of prayer and God's word in your life. Well, just to go back a little bit to share, my parents were both first-generational Christians. Oh, really? So my mom got saved right before she and my dad got married. And my dad got saved shortly thereafter. And there's a whole other part of that testimony we'll say for another day. But they were very strong in God's Word and really... when they realized the truth of God's word, wanted their kids, I have one older brother and wanted us to grow up in, in the truth of God's word. And so to be founded on that. So I'm thankful for that spiritual heritage. And then of course, Oh, are you later graduated from Raymond, all of those things that really take me back to what has grounded my life. But I think for each one of us, we have those places or that time in our life where we go, Oh, OK, this was a marking moment where God really began to show me that the word wasn't just the word that my parents had or knew or believed. It was something that I could hold on and that I could could hold fast and to believe. And one of those marking moments that I look back in my life and I realize, OK, that was. a game changer, if you want to say. I had a wonderful friend at ORU and introduced her to my brother, and they married right after she had graduated from ORU. And within six months and two weeks, my beautiful sister-in-law went home to be with the Lord. Wow. And so it was a very shaking time. I was just graduating out of Bible school from Rhema, and I knew what the Word of God said. I knew it was true, but I then had to, you know, grapple with, okay, this is what your word says. This is what we just experienced. What do I do with this? And I remember going back, I actually started having physical symptoms in my own body and, um, I was traveling full-time in ministry at that time. And so I would get on a plane every weekend and travel to two different places and, and then fly back and recoup and get out on a plane the next time. And so I actually was carrying symptoms in my body that my mom came up and actually started to travel with me because of just my fatigue and so forth. So don't really know what it all was, whether it was some type of bug, virus, or whatever, was losing weight. And it was at that moment where the enemy really tried to hit me with fear and said, you know, I killed her, I can kill you. Wow. And I remember just thinking, OK, maybe I don't really want to do this. This is, you know, is this what I really, you know, and I had to go back to that word and actually went back to healing school, even at Ramah during the afternoons, during the week and went back to what God's word says. And that's where he solidified this in my heart, where he said, I'm the same yesterday, today and forever. That's Hebrews 13, eight. I always like to give where the scripture is from because you want to know where that address is. Yes. But Hebrews 13, 8 says, Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. And I just remember this wasn't, he didn't appear to me. This wasn't an audible voice. It was in my heart. He began to speak to me. He said, Debbie, my word is alive. It is sharper than any two edged sword. I've sent my word to perform my purpose and plan in you. And it won't return to me void, but you're going to have to choose to believe my word. And so at that moment, I remember making this decision and just drawing a line in the sand if everyone falls off the planet, I choose to believe. I choose to believe you. I choose to believe your word. And it was in that season of time that, yes, it was his word that healed my body. It was a gradual healing, but all the symptoms left. I'm still in full-time ministry today. It didn't stop me. But I had to go back to the truth. And in that moment where I was looking at my life experience, Versus what I believe the word of God was speaking his word of knowing that he's the same. He took me back to you're going to have to make a choice that you can't be moved by what you see. You can't be moved by what you feel. You can't be moved by what you hear. Those things are temporal. They're subject to change. But the word of God and the spirit of God, it will never change. The scripture says heaven and earth is going to pass away, but my word is going to remain. And so I drew a line in the sand that day that go, I can't be moved by this. I will be moved by the word of God. Still considering what happened to your sister-in-law as well as what you were experiencing in your body. So was it fear because you saw what happened to her and then when you were starting to feel symptoms? Yeah. I think it was probably a combination. I'd had a grandfather who had passed. Actually, my parents, their daddies both passed really very early in their life. My mom was a year old when her dad passed. My dad was just four years old. So if you want to say they were step grandparents, but I had grandfathers. I only had one that had passed at that time. So close, but not anything like my friend from college. And so I think it was that life experience that I had not experienced in such a deep, hurtful way. And then, too, I really believe it was the word being tested. I'm just graduating out of Bible school. I'm traveling in full time ministry. And it's it's I like to say where the rubber meets the road. It's like, am I going to choose to believe God's word or what do I do with these feelings and emotions? And there's a difference, though. You said you made a choice and you felt God told you there was a choice that we make. Yes. But today we have the opportunity the same. And that's where I feel like that's such a powerful thing that you actually recognized what your choices were. And a lot of times we will give in to the fear and anxiety and we'll give in to blaming God, being angry towards God for events that happen. And as though people didn't have any say into that. Right. But that's where I see such an important factor that you're saying is. you were shown that his word, you were going to choose his word of truth. Even whatever you were seeing or not seeing. Absolutely. You chose that, which is, I just wanted to make sure we emphasize that your choice was, I choose the truth of his word. Absolutely. I made a decision to do that because I think a lot of people have lived through life experiences that and it caused them to turn from God. They made a choice to blame him. But you have to know it's in him I live and move and have my being. He is the giver of life. Who comes to steal, kill and destroy? John 10, 10. Well, it's the devil. And so many times we just want God to save us from all this. But I have a part to play. And I hope our listener hears that, that there is there is this point of decision, fear and faith, doubt, faith, whatever is going to be there. I can choose whichever side I'm going to go to. And thank God for his grace that enables and equips us. wanted to be restored. I wanted to know his truth. I had a personal relationship with Christ. I knew what his word had said, even though I hadn't lived it to the way I thought, but by pursuing him knew, okay, I'm taking God at his word. He's the one who doesn't change. And for me, it was that marking place, even though I'd been a Christian since I had been a child, I that the word was the foundation for my belief. And no matter what came, no matter what tested it from that day, and that was a lot of years ago, I still make a choice to believe God's word. A good foundation. Absolutely. Which helps you for every other thing you go through is going back to the word. Yes. Which that's the weapons of our warfare. Yes, is learning the value of God's God's giving us equipping us with everything we need right here in the word of God to be able to counteract. Anything comes our way. It's the most wonderful treasure. I mean, when you look back in the Gospels and you look back in Matthew, we probably sang the song as a kid. If you were in Sunday school about how the wise man built his house upon the rock, foolish man built his house upon the sand. If you read that scripture and I had looked at that just a little bit earlier, he goes back and he says, it's. Everyone who hears this word of mine, he says it to the wise and he says to the foolish. He wasn't just speaking to save and unsaved. He was speaking to those that are in Christ. What makes the difference in Christians? I used to look at that and go, why are they successful? Why are they not? What is what is the difference? Well, the wise man built his house up on the foundation of the word of God, Jesus Christ. Jesus became flesh. He dwelt among us. He became the word. And so when I build my house upon the word, that's what makes the difference in me. And so it is a choice every day to say, I'm choosing to believe this word and I'm choosing to allow it to produce the life that he promises it will in each one of us, as Proverbs says. Yeah. And so we have to be in the word every day. Yes. So it could, because as you've been just flowing with scriptures is that didn't come overnight. That's been constantly in the word and meditating on it. Even if you're not memorizing, the more that we are constantly in the word, it's amazing how the Holy spirit is our teacher brings it up to our remembrance. I've known sometimes when I'm praying, um, I don't know that I memorized it, but I'll be quoting off phrases of different scriptures as I'm praying over someone. And, you know, with I Refresh, we like to scribe and write down things for people. So then a lot of us, the other people are like scrolling, you know, and trying to research. I'm like, what scripture was that? And I'm hearing you do that same thing because you have made it an active choice of being in his word. During that season and part of the time when I was in Bible school, one of my instructors really went back to the word and talked about Proverbs, where it was life and health to every part of our flesh. And he used this and he said, he goes, it's guaranteed to put the life of God in you out of Proverbs three. He says it has no negative side effects and you can't overdose on it. And I thought, well, there you go. Because if you look at any commercial, the medication will about kill you if it doesn't heal. So I took that scripture and I was like, I'm going to see. I know I can't overdose, but I'm going to just see how much word I can fill me up with. And that I prayed and I still do. I think sometimes we just think, oh, you're just born this way because that's your purpose and calling. No, I've prayed to ask God that I will always be hungry and thirsty for his word and for his spirit and that nothing and no one will ever satisfy me more than him. And I asked to have a insatiable appetite for his word and for his spirit. And then again, I asked the Holy Spirit, illuminate this to me. Make sense of what this is to me so that I always have a hunger and a desire to hide it in my heart, you know, and that I will walk out his promises. Well, you just made a good point. You know, somebody might be a newer believer or someone may get a King James version out. You're like, wow. Amplified. Yeah. I've been reading this year, the message, and I read different translations because it's almost like I get so much different perspective. Because I don't want to get so stuck in what I'm familiar with, what I've grown up with, NIV from college days. But I love how all of a sudden is before we enter into his word is that we pray, like you were just talking about. to the Holy Spirit to illuminate, open up our understanding. Right. And I think everyone can have that if we're asking before we even go into the word. Absolutely. It's asking for that understanding. For many years I taught at Victory College, and I would tell my students always, and in ministering I'll say that. It's just like if we have lights that are in here, but we had to hit the switch for it to come on. We activated it. The electricity didn't all of a sudden come on. It's always there. We have to turn on the switch. Same way. We are spirit who has a soul. We live in a body, but I activate my spirit. I turn on my faith switch to say, God, God. This is your word. It is your manuscript on how I'm to live my life. You said, and I'll quote scriptures like, it's not going to return to you void. Proverbs 3, it's life, it's health to every part of my being. The word of God, Amplified says, divides between spirit and soul and bone and marrow. So the very intense and purposes of the heart. So God amplifies. Right now, as I open this word, speak to me in a way that I've not heard you before. And Holy Spirit, guide me. You are my counselor. You're my teacher. Show me something that you are wanting me to see as I read, as I meditate, as I take in this word. And you know what? He's right there. One of the other descriptions of the Holy Spirit is he's our standby. And that means he's just right there waiting to give you a nugget of truth or revelation or whatever you need. So just ask him. That's powerful. That's good. You know, I think, you know, you've talked about how much the word has helped you and in your prayer life, when you're praying even for people or even in your own personal things that concern you. How is it that you find that the word in your prayer life? How does it because some people might just try to pray or people don't know how to pray? Yes. What is it you could even share with our listeners that would really inspire them and help encourage them in their prayer life? Yeah. Well, I'm always going to say, one, the effectual fervent prayers of righteous man avail much. And when you pray in the perfect will of God, he's going to make sure that it's manifested. He has angels looking to manifest his word. So I always encourage people when they have a prayer request or they're looking at something, I go, what's the word you're standing on? Show me the scriptural basis that's lining up with that truth that you are standing on. And let's pray that word out for that. I also look at Romans 8, and you'll see it in other portions where when we receive our prayer language, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, evidence of speaking in tongues, we will pray out the perfect will of a father. So when I don't know how to pray, I pray in my prayer language. Thank goodness for... Chancellor Oral Roberts, you know, who taught us that and the importance of the spirit of God. And so as a believer, it's open for anyone. It's a gift for any one of us that want to receive that. So praying the word and praying in the spirit have been two big keys for me. Okay. Now you're a veteran of the word and some people are going to be, I don't know where I'd go to find if I am, let's say someone's struggling with fear and anxiety. Sure. They don't know where to go in the scriptures to how to stand on something. Yes. How would you help them, guide them and how to find scriptures to stand on? Well, in the day that we live in, there are even the old way of concordances and all types of wonderful studies. You can even do those online. You put them on apps on your phone. I mean, I would get one of those that really goes back to I would go back to those fathers of the faith that we know were strong in the word. like a Pastor Billy Joe Doherty or a Kenneth Copeland or Kenneth Hagan, who's now in heaven, and go back to, because see, as immediately as you say that, 2 Timothy comes up to me, God's not giving me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. And back in those days, even before I had a concordance, I would search the word or wise counsel, find that verse, write it out, memorize it. meditate on it and ask the spirit of God to give me revelation of how to live what that scripture says. Because, because God always doesn't just want to give it to you and go, okay, now you're on your own. He is going to anoint us, grace us, and equip us to receive the word, to digest the word and to live out that word. And so the importance then is really, I like it when Mary said that she pondered those things in her heart. I think when you take a scripture that the Lord's guiding you and gives you is just to me, meditating is just thinking on those, thinking on it all day. And when you said write it down, I think there's power even when you write it down. Yes. When we vocalize that scripture where it becomes life. Like you said about, you know, you're activating when you turn on the light switch, you're activating. Yes. I think that when we speak it with our voice, that scripture, we're beginning to declare that verse. Well, there's the power is life and death is in the power of our tongue. What does that mean? I speak out life or death every day. I'm either contributing or contaminating my relationships with God. It's with my husband, with my family. So I am making a choice. Are my words life giving their containers? So it's just like this beautiful cup that we have. It's filled with water. It contains water, but it is a carrier to whatever's in it to wherever I take it. Same with my words. Am I losing life or am I losing death? Am I losing faith or am I losing fear? So I have that choice to what to fill my mouth with because out of the abundance of our heart, the mouth speaks. So the more I fill in of the word when I'm squeezed, that's what's going to come out. That's good. I would love you just to highlight and just share with our audience the things that you feel like would really empower them to really, if they haven't spent time in the word enough or they haven't spent time to really pray, what would you want to tell our listeners? I first want to tell you is just to have that open heart to Jesus. God loves you so much, and it really does stem out of a relationship with Him. And I know not everybody had the most perfect home life. I was very grateful for the awesome daddy that I had who now lives in heaven. But if that wasn't your experience, that doesn't limit God. He is a loving Father. And ask Him to reveal Himself to you, that you'll really see who He is by His Scripture. And I'm going to tell you, the more you're in your Word, in the Bible, the more you're going to know what He sounds like, because He sounds just like this. And after that relationship of saying, God, I just want to know you. Ask him for that hunger and then follow through with the step. I'm not saying you have to read the whole Bible in a year. Start over there in the Gospels. Began to get a good study. There's a lot of them out there by a lot of great anointed ministers that you can take a daily Bible reading and hear the scripture. They'll expound on it. And then ask the Holy Spirit, show me how to live this in my life. It's just like in a normal diet if we had. I think most of us know what's healthier versus unhealthy. But we still have to make a choice. And I don't ever reap the benefits of that unless I eat the healthier choices. It's the same way with this. You're going to reap the benefits. when you read his word. That's really wonderful. You know, one of the things, when you've given some great insights of places to go and where to start, one of the apps, you mentioned apps, one of them is YouVersion, and that's a great app to start with, and it's got a lot of plans to read through the word. Yes, it does. Well, thank you, Debbie, so much for sharing your experiences with the Word of God. And one of the things, too, at iRefresh.net, we also have places where there's scriptures on different topics, like we talked about anxiety, things about praying over your family, your children, that you can go to that are listing of scriptures and even how to learn how to pray God's Word. So we just encourage you. It's a good place to start with and to get you to understand that God wants to have an intimate relationship with you. He cares so much for you. So thank you for sharing with us today.