Faith That Receives | Nancy Dufresne | Paducah, KY | Miracle Crusade 2023

Date: May 30, 2023
Speaker: Nancy Dufresne
Podcast: Dufresne Ministries Podcast

Overview

In this powerful message, Pastor Nancy Dufresne teaches on the theme of "Faith That Receives," emphasizing how biblical faith is not merely believing God can or will do something, but receiving it as already done. She underscores the spiritual discipline of fixing one's attention on God’s Word, the necessity for believers to be skillful in their faith, and the importance of the local church for faith development and receiving from God. Through scriptural examples, practical illustrations, and personal anecdotes, Pastor Nancy guides listeners toward understanding and practicing the kind of faith that actively receives what God has provided.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power and Place of God’s Presence (00:25–05:40)

• Worship and Presence: The episode opens in a worshipful atmosphere, with Nancy Dufresne encouraging the congregation to enter God’s presence and leave distractions behind.
• Spiritual Warfare in God’s Presence:
  • Nancy shares a story from a Kenneth Copeland convention, where she resisted condemnation from the enemy by reaffirming, “When I obey God, I never end up in a bad place.” (01:55)
  • God told her, “If you would just live in my presence, you wouldn’t even have to listen to that [the enemy’s accusations].” (03:00)
• Faith Defined: “Really, faith is just simply this: Fixed on the right thing. Fixed.” (04:45)

2. Faith—The Activator of God's Power (06:30–15:10)

• Faith Mixes with the Word: Reference to Hebrews—those delivered from Egypt did not profit because “the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith.” (06:55)
• Faith as Currency: “Faith converts the Word into power.” (07:20)
• No One Came to Not Profit: “None of us came here tonight to not profit. We all came to profit…What we were not moving in or stepping into, we’re profiting.” (07:40)
• Skillfulness and Initiative: “When we’re skillful with our faith, we don’t have to wait for God to initiate something, because faith initiates something.” (12:40)
• Faith Is Not Passive: “He [God] initiated me initiating by giving me His faith.” (13:10)
• Necessity of Teaching Faith: Without teaching, “someone is doing without what heaven has for them and that they need.” (14:10)

3. Why It Matters Where and How You Hear the Word (15:18–32:15)

• Proximity to Ministry: “There are some things that will never happen till the man of God can see your face.” (16:00)
• The Local Church’s Role: “Nothing you do in life is as important as where you hear the Word.” (27:20)
• Receiving Requires Presence: Using the woman with the issue of blood as an example, Nancy says, “Her miracle is as easy as getting out of the house…It begins with that.” (23:55)
• Choosing the Right Church is Life and Death:
  • God told Nancy (in response to why someone died young): “Tell her the reason she died is because the church she went to didn’t teach her faith.” (24:40)
  • “It’s life and death what church you go to. And that’s why I say, pastors, put faith in people. Because without it, they’re not going to get their answers.” (25:55)

4. Right and Wrong Definitions of Faith (32:30–50:39)

• Faith Needs Perfection: Referring to 1 Thessalonians 3, “If you’re born again, you got faith. But…your faith needs something.” (33:40)
• Receiving—The Marker of Perfected Faith: “How do we know our faith is perfected? When we receive.” (34:05)
• Bible Examples:
  • The leper: “He believed Jesus could, but didn’t know if He would…You can have a heart ready to believe, but if you lack critical knowledge…My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (39:00)
• Correcting Faulty Thinking: “He didn’t just give him healing; He gave him right thinking. Because if you don’t think right, the healing cannot accomplish…the power cannot accomplish it.” (41:20)
• Improper Faith Definitions:
  • “God is going to heal me sometime”—Nancy says, “That’s not faith. See, drop that.” (44:25)
  • “Faith is not believing God can…not believing God is going to. Faith is: God has already done it for me. Therefore, it’s mine now.” (45:54)

5. The Mechanics of Receiving by Faith (51:00–01:06:57)

• Mark 11:24: “What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe you receive them, and you shall have them.” (51:00)
• Receiving vs. Manifestation:
  • “Receiving and manifestation are two different things. Manifestation is dealing with the natural realm. Receiving…is dealing with the spirit realm.” (54:05)
• How Faith Operates: “Faith is dealing with the invisible. Faith is dealing with the unseen.” (55:00)
• Examples: The disciples in the storm—“They changed what they believed because of what they saw. This is what faith doesn’t do. It doesn’t change what it believes because of what it sees.” (59:35)
• First in the Spirit: “Your body will never be healed until your spirit lays hold of it first. God does not heal your body, bypassing your spirit.” (01:01:00)
• Warning: “You can lay hold of something with your spirit, then let go of it…Don’t do it.” (01:04:34)

6. Receiving Is Spirit-to-Spirit Agreement (01:07:00–01:15:40)

• Inward Agreement: “Faith is inward agreement with what God says first…and it’s agreeing with words.” (01:10:30)
• Personal Story: Four years of resisting the call to pastor, “Why did I not know it? No inward agreement.” (01:12:20)
• Active Agreement vs. Feelings: “This is not anything authored by the body. It is completely authored by believing what God says and choosing to agree with what God says.” (01:15:30)

7. Strengthening and Maintaining Your Grip of Faith (01:15:41–End)

• Acts Example—Cloth as Storage: A woman “schooled her spirit” to receive healing through a cloth anointed by prayer, keeping her ‘hand of faith’ ready. (01:17:30)
• Instantaneous vs. Steady Receiving: “We want the instantaneous, but instantaneous deals with manifestation. We need to just be occupied: Am I believing?” (01:18:18)
• Declaration: “Say this: I always receive…Your spirit is under your command. You can always agree at a moment, ‘I agree with God.’” (01:20:10)
• Final Encouragement: “Don’t let any passing of time…cause you to weaken your hold of the hand of faith on what you receive.” (01:19:40)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the discipline of faith:
  • “Faith is just simply this: Fixed on the right thing. Fixed.” — Nancy Dufresne (04:45)
• On receiving from God:
  • “Faith can have it all. I said, faith can have it all. It belongs to us. But it’s faith that takes possession of what’s been theirs all along.” (14:20)
• On in-person ministry:
  • “Nothing you do in life is as important as where you hear the Word.” (27:20)
• On misdefining faith:
  • “God is going to heal me sometime. That’s not faith…Faith is: God has already done it for me. Therefore, it’s mine now. Now, that’s faith.” (44:25–45:54)
• On receiving vs. manifestation:
  • “Faith is dealing with the invisible. Faith is dealing with the unseen. Manifestation is dealing with the natural realm…Receiving is what you do with your heart.” (54:05–55:00)
• On not letting go:
  • “You can lay hold of something with your spirit, then let go of it. Don’t do it. Don’t do it. Because that’s not faith to let go.” (01:04:34)
• On spiritual authority:
  • “Your spirit grabs hold…Your heart grabs hold of things.” (01:13:30)
• Practical application:
  • “How do you perform the act of receiving? I believe I receive with my spirit, Father, on the inside of me. I receive.” (01:15:40)
• Closing declaration:
  • “Say this: I always receive…your spirit is under your command.” (01:20:10)

Important Timestamps

• (00:25–04:45): Entering, prioritizing, and protecting God’s presence.
• (06:55): Hebrews—faith mixes with the Word to profit us.
• (12:40): Faith initiates, not just responds.
• (15:18): The importance of being ‘seen’ in church and by spiritual leadership.
• (23:55): The woman with the issue of blood—getting out of the house by faith.
• (33:40): What does it mean for faith to be perfected?
• (44:25–45:54): What faith is…and what it isn’t.
• (51:00–55:00): Mark 11:24—how receiving differs from manifestation.
• (59:35): Faith does not change because of outward circumstances.
• (01:04:34): Don’t let go of what you have laid hold of by faith.
• (01:12:20): Personal story illustrating inward agreement.
• (01:17:30): Testimony of healing via anointed cloth and "schooling" oneself into faith.
• (01:20:10): Closing declaration and encouragement for active, spirit-led faith.

Summary

This episode is a comprehensive teaching on biblical faith as the means of receiving from God. Nancy Dufresne breaks down common misconceptions, distinguishing between “believing God can” and “receiving as already done.” She presents faith as a spiritual discipline requiring unwavering focus, active inward agreement, and practical skill, nurtured best in the local church environment.

Through scripture, real-life stories, and faith-building illustrations, listeners are equipped to:

• Recognize and reject poor definitions of faith.
• Understand their responsibility in the transaction of receiving from God.
• Maintain their “grip” of faith regardless of natural circumstances or delays in manifestation.
• Value the local church and teaching of faith as matters of life and death.

If you want to deepen your understanding of faith and ensure that you not only believe but always receive, this episode offers both the theology and practical steps needed to move from hoping or wishing to a life of confident receiving and spiritual victory.