Podcast Summary

Dufresne Ministries Podcast

Episode: Bedtime Prayers Vs. End-Time Prayers | Joel Siegel | Georgetown, TX | Monday AM | Miracle Crusade 2021
Date: November 30, 2021
Host: Dufresne Ministries (with Joel Siegel, co-speaker, and congregation participation)

Overview of the Episode

This episode centers on the critical distinction between "bedtime prayers"—self-focused, tradition-driven prayers for personal needs—and "end-time prayers"—plan-focused, effective prayers aligned with God’s purposes for the current era. Minister Joel Siegel teaches that believers today are "End Time Agents," called to go beyond prayers of mere survival, instead learning to pray with spiritual authority and revelation for God's greater plan. The teaching is practical, faith-stirring, and rich with scriptural insight, emphasizing the transformative power of right thinking and right praying, especially in times of global and spiritual significance.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Understanding the "End of All Things" (1 Peter 4:7)

• Scripture as Springboard: Joel begins by focusing on 1 Peter 4:7: "But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer."
  • Clarification: He emphasizes the verse is often misunderstood—not a cause for fear, but a call to sober, alert prayer.
    • "The end of all things is at hand. How many know that we're in...the End Times. We're at the end of the church age. And it's a significant time...God has a plan." (03:03)
• Present Urgency: “At hand” means imminent—God has uniquely placed this generation to play a distinct role.
  • "You're an End Time Agent...You're on earth for a special time. And it's to help facilitate a plan." (03:03)

2. The Role of the Believer: Equipped for God’s Plan

• Everyone's Part: No need for pulpit ministry; every believer has a part in God’s plan but must be spiritually equipped.
  • "Everybody has a part in God's plan...But you have to be equipped to do your part." (03:37)
• Purpose of the Meetings: To obtain spiritual skills and 'equipment' to fulfill this role.

3. Sobriety and Sound Thinking as Spiritual Equipment

• Defining Sobriety: “Be sober” means being clear-minded, not clouded or spiritually "drunk."
  • "Sober is the opposite of drunk. When a person is drunk, they ain't thinking clear...Right thinking is part of your equipment for the end of this age." (06:10)

4. Right Thinking Leads to Effective Prayer

• Amplified Translation (1 Peter 4:7) Quoted:
  • "Keep sound minded and self restrained and alert therefore for the practice of prayer.” (07:21)
• Wrong Thinking, Wrong Praying: Traditional concepts (prayer as prying blessings from God) lead to ineffective, "bedtime" prayers.
  • "Is there such a thing as wrong praying?...The body of Christ doesn't pray effectively...because they don't think right about prayer." (07:33, 09:12)

5. The Purpose and Nature of Prayer

• More Than Asking for Needs:
  • "People think that the purpose of prayer is if we pray hard enough, we can get God to answer...God didn't give us prayer to try to pry his fingers open." (10:00)
• Understanding In Christ Realities:
  • "Before you do anything else, you need to learn some things about who you are...what you have and what you can do in Christ." (10:40)
• Already Blessed: Emphasizes Ephesians 1:3 & 2 Peter 1:3—God has already provided every spiritual blessing and all things pertaining to life and godliness.
  • "He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places...We're not praying for God to bless us." (11:28)

6. From Bedtime Prayers to End-Time Prayers

• Bedtime Prayers Illustrated:
  • "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep..." (18:52)
  • Critique: Focused on self, fear, and repetitive requests for what God has already done.
• End-Time Prayers Defined:
  • "We need to go from bedtime praying...to end time prayers that are focused on God and his plan...plan-focused rather than need-focused." (20:21)
  • Key Progression: Maturity in prayer means moving from self-preservation to partnership with God’s purposes.

7. Receiving by Revelation, Not Just Repetition

• Story on Healing: Joel recounts times when he meditated on Matthew 8:17 and related scriptures, leading him not to beg for healing, but to receive it by revelation.
  • "The things concerning our redemption and the things that we most often pray for have already been accomplished." (17:15)
  • "As I was meditating...He took it. He bore it. I've got it." (32:35)
• Meditation and Confession: Repeating and personalizing the Word ("Himself took my infirmities...") shifts the reality from scripture to current experience.

8. Effective Prayer Turns Situations (Philippians 1:19)

• Turning Power:
  • "This shall turn to my salvation through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ." (39:27)
  • Through the church's prayer and the Spirit's supply, impossible situations are changed.
• Not All Prayers Are Equal:
  • "There is a kind of prayer...effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available, dynamic in its action." (49:53)

9. Moving from Old to New Testament Models

• Old vs. New Covenant: Joel argues that New Testament believers don't just plead for healing; they enforce what Christ has achieved.
  • "In the Old Testament, Moses prayed, ‘Heal her now.’ In the New Testament, by his wounds you have been [healed]." (47:38)

10. Making Power Available for Others

• Intercessory Help: Not all know how to "get it," so the church can pray for and with others, helping them tap into the supply of the Spirit.
  • "One thing we can do in praying one for another is make that help, make that supply available for them." (53:09)
• Praying in Tongues: Highlighted as a key avenue to generate spiritual supply and connect to God's power.
  • "That is like tapping into it. That's like hooking up to a generator. Praise the Lord." (54:38)

11. Practical Session: Prayer and Worship (54:00-End)

• The latter portion involves a practical time of group prayer, worship, and declarations of faith, focused on the supply of the Spirit, miracles, and corporate praise.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On End Time Purpose:

  • "You're an End Time Agent...You're here at a special time. You're on earth for a special time. And it's to help facilitate a plan. God has a plan." (03:03)

• On Right Thinking:

  • "Right thinking is part of your equipment for the end of this age. That right thinking enables you to do something and enables you to watch unto prayer." (06:45)

• On Mature Prayer:

  • "We need to go from bedtime praying...to end time prayers that are focused on God and his plan. They're plan focused rather than need focused, you might say." (20:24)

• On Receiving By Faith:

  • *"As I was meditating on this verse and seeing all that, this came up in me: 'He took it. He bore it. I've got it.’" (32:35)

• On Effective Prayer:

  • "The right kind of prayer creates a spiritual supply that turns things...generates a spiritual supply that can turn things." (44:03)

• On Supply of the Spirit:

  • "Paul said...this is going to turn to my deliverance through your prayers and the resulting spiritual supply." (43:48)

Important Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:31 – Joel addresses the misunderstanding of 1 Peter 4:7
• 03:03 – "End Time Agents" and your part in God's plan
• 06:08 – What it means to be spiritually 'sober'
• 11:28 – Already blessed (Ephesians 1:3) – “He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings”
• 18:52 – Bedtime prayers vs. end time prayers illustration
• 31:24 – Powerful meditation on Christ’s redemptive work: "He took it. He bore it. I’ve got it."
• 39:27 – Philippians 1:19 and the turning power of prayer
• 49:53 – James 5:16 and effective prayer ("tremendous power available")
• 54:38 – The value of praying in tongues for connecting with spiritual supply
• 54:38 – 67:44 – Corporate prayer, worship, and practical demonstration

Conclusion & Takeaway

Bedtime Prayers vs. End-Time Prayers: The Call to Maturity

Joel Siegel’s message powerfully challenges believers to mature beyond "God, please do it" prayers and step into revelation-based prayer, recognizing what God has already accomplished in Christ. The believer’s role is not to plead for blessings but to operate as an equipped agent in God’s end-time purpose, partnering in prayers that generate spiritual supply and facilitate the move of God in the earth.

The memorable refrain, “He took it. He bore it. I’ve got it.” (32:35), encapsulates the faith posture called for—receiving and enforcing what already belongs to us in Christ.

Practical Application

• Renew your mind with the Word to think and pray rightly.
• Shift from self-focused prayers to prayers that align with God’s plans.
• In times of need, meditate on relevant scripture until revelation comes.
• Use intercessory prayer to help generate spiritual power for others.
• Engage in praying in tongues to access and distribute the supply of the Spirit.

Recommended for:
Believers hungry for a deeper, more effective prayer life, those seeking to understand their role in God’s present plan, and anyone wanting practical tools to move from fear or lack into the fullness of their redemptive inheritance.