Freedom From Mental Torment | Nancy Dufresne | Jesus the Healer Broadcast - Dufresne Ministries Podcast

Summary7 min read

Episode Overview

Podcast: Dufresne Ministries Podcast
Episode Title: Freedom From Mental Torment | Nancy Dufresne | Jesus the Healer Broadcast
Date: May 9, 2019
Main Theme:
Pastor Nancy Dufresne offers guidance and spiritual strategies for overcoming mental torment, particularly the types of thoughts and feelings that lead to hopelessness and even suicidal ideation. With a compassionate tone, she addresses the shame and isolation often felt by those under mental attack and shares concrete, Bible-based steps for walking in freedom. The episode includes prayer, personal anecdotes, and practical teachings rooted in Scripture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Experience of Mental Torment and Its Source

Nancy Dufresne describes receiving a spiritual impression of someone facing suicidal thoughts before a service ([00:17]). She clarifies:
- “There is no shame for you being tempted this way because it didn't originate with you. It originated with the devil. And it's not your thoughts...there's no shame because they're not yours.” ([02:59])
She explains how the devil misuses Scripture, referencing Jesus’ temptation in Luke 4, and notes that Jesus was also tempted with suicide when Satan told Him to throw Himself off the temple ([01:17–02:45]).

Spiritual Dynamics of Temptation

Nancy explains that when the enemy brings tormenting thoughts, he “also sends an influence that can be felt to try to persuade them to believe what he says to them.” ([05:13])
- Example: “If he's tempting someone with fear, then he sends that feeling of fear to try to get you to accept what he's threatening you with.” ([05:33])
She stresses that intense negative feelings (fear, failure, hopelessness, sexual temptation) do not mean those thoughts are true or representative of a person’s nature ([06:55–07:51]).

The Crucial Role of Choice

“Doesn't matter what you feel. It matters what you choose to cooperate with. Just because you feel it does not make it true.” ([07:37])
The repeated point: feelings are not facts, and spiritual attack uses repetition to try to break down resistance, but “repetition does not equal truth.” ([09:40])

Three Steps to Freedom from Mental Torment

Pastor Nancy lays out a three-step process, anchored in Jesus’ example:

1. Answer the Thought with Scripture ([11:52])

Directly counter every specific threat or lie with an applicable verse.
- eg. If the thought is “you're going to lose your marriage,” answer: “That’s a lie. What God has joined together, no man will put asunder.” ([12:41])
“Don’t sit and go to bed with that thing cycling through your thought life. You answer it. Take charge of your mind. It is your mind. God’s given you the spirit of a sound mind. It's your mind.” ([13:06])

2. Command the Spirit to Leave ([13:49])

After answering the thought, speak directly: “Tell the spirit that was talking to you to leave.”
- Referencing Jesus: “He said, get thee behind me, Satan.” ([14:00])

3. Worship and Praise ([14:15])

Shift attention to praising God, regardless of feelings: “Worship brings the anointing, and the anointing destroys the yoke.”
Live in worship as a lifestyle—“Number one won’t take but a moment, number two won’t take but a moment, but all day to do number three.” ([15:15])

Prayer and Ministry for Freedom

Prayers of deliverance: “Be free in Jesus name. Be free in Jesus name. Father, we thank you that as we lay hands on these...we say that anointing destroys the yoke. And if there's a presence of an evil spirit, it'll drive it out.” ([16:15–18:25])

Memorable Illustrations & Teachings

Testimonies & Stories:
- Dr. Sumrall’s teaching: “At some point in life, everyone will be tempted with the thoughts of suicide...because Jesus himself was tempted with that.” ([02:35])
- Amy Semple McPherson’s tent crusade threatened by a mob: She asked God what to do. He replied, “Praise me.” She responded that was hard, but He said, “You're not praising me because of the position you’re in. You're praising me because of the position I’m in.” ([20:20–22:00])
- “There’s nothing you can’t praise your way out of.” (Sister Lillian B. Yeoman, quoted at [18:47] and [25:13])
Powerful Metaphor:
- Spiritual “jumper cables”: “Tonight, if I could say it this way—jumper cables right here transmitting power to help drive that thing back. But whenever you have your car jumped, they always say, keep the engine running. Don’t turn off the engine, you’ll lose the charge. How do you keep the engine running? Walk out of here, Praise God, I’m free.” ([24:28])

Empowerment and Responsibility

Nancy strongly emphasizes personal responsibility and capacity:
- “No one can guard your mind for you...I can't get [the devil] to leave you alone. But my job is to tell you what to do when he shows up.” ([23:35])
- “Your mind is your mind. The devil wants to hold you in the mental arena, getting you to try to figure out your help. You don’t have to figure it out. Praise it out.” ([24:10])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Shame and Temptation:
“There is no shame for you being tempted this way because it didn't originate with you. It originated with the devil. And it's not your thoughts, so there's no shame because they're not yours.”
— Nancy Dufresne ([02:59])
On Jesus’ Temptation & Imitation by the Devil:
“Jesus himself was tempted with words of suicide in the wilderness...and he showed us how to answer it.”
([01:40–02:20])
On the Influence of Feelings:
“Just because you feel it does not make it true. Just because you feel a sense of hopelessness does not mean it's hopeless. Doesn't mean it's true.”
([07:45])
The Threefold Assignment:
“Number one is what? Answer it. Number two, tell the devil that’s troubling you to leave...usually it’s a spirit of fear. And number three, worship. Now that’s going to be the bulk of your activity. Worship, worship, worship.”
([15:52, 20:10])
On Maintaining Freedom:
“How do you keep the engine running? Walk out of here. Praise God, I'm free. Thank God, I'm free...And if you go to bed at night tonight, and the devil says nothing’s changed, oh, everything changed. Everything has changed. And I'm free. I'm free. Well, you don't feel free. It's not about what I feel, it's about what I know.”
([24:40])
On Worship as the Key:
“There’s nothing you can’t praise your way out of. And the devil will say, praising is not enough for your situation. Praising is more than enough for your situation.”
([25:13])

Important Timestamps

00:17 — Nancy Dufresne discusses her spiritual impression and the reality of mental torment.
02:20 — Explanation of no shame in being tempted and biblical examples.
05:13 — Analysis of the enemy's tactic to send feelings with thoughts.
11:52 — Instruction on how to answer tormenting thoughts specifically with Scripture.
13:49 — Direct command to tell tormenting spirits to leave.
14:15 — The role and importance of worship to maintain freedom.
18:47 — “Nothing you can’t praise your way out of.”
20:10 — Amy Semple McPherson tent story and application of praise.
23:35 — Personal responsibility for the mind and practical advice likened to jumper cables.
24:40 — Keeping freedom with ongoing praise and faith.

Structured Summary: The Threefold Path to Freedom

1. Answer Tempting Thoughts with the Word

Identify the specific threat.
Respond with a relevant Bible verse out loud.

2. Command the Spirit (Source of Torment) to Leave

Address the spirit directly.
Use the authority Jesus modeled (“Get behind me, Satan”).

3. Focus on Worship

Make worship a continual practice.
Use praise to drown out negative thoughts and feelings, remembering it’s about God’s position, not yours.

Closing Encouragement

Victory begins with understanding the enemy’s tactics, separating feelings from truth, and choosing your response.
Worship is your weapon—there truly is “nothing you can’t praise your way out of.”
Even if freedom doesn’t feel immediate, your faith and spoken agreement with the Word are what matter.
Final declaration from Nancy ([26:55]):
“Everyone just lift your hands and say, it’s so good to be free. Thank you, Father, that I’m free. Jesus, thank you for making me free. And he whom the son sets free is free indeed. Amen. I’m free. I’m free. Well, it doesn’t feel any different. No, no, no. That doesn’t matter...Don’t believe the feeling. Believe what God says.”

This summary encapsulates the episode's compassionate, empowering message for anyone facing mental torment, suicide, or related spiritual battles—equipping listeners with clear, biblically-rooted steps to embrace and maintain their freedom.

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Transcript5 lines

[00:00]
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Hi, I'm Grant Dufresne, and welcome to Dufresne Ministries podcast channel. We believe that as you listen to this message, your faith will be stirred and you will be encouraged in whatever you are believing God for today. Stay tuned at the end of this message to find out more information about our ministry.
[00:17]
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On December 26, I was falling off to sleep. And before I did, I had a sense. And I. I've had these experiences enough to recognize them. And I had a sense of someone being tempted with the tormenting thoughts of suicide. And you say, well, how did you sense it? I could feel it all come on me, you. You begin to pick up what someone else is facing. And it. But I knew it wasn't me. I knew it was somebody else, and I had the sense it was somebody that would be in these services. And there was an overwhelming sense of hopelessness. And it just seemed this way, that whether it's one person or more than one, it seemed to you that dying would be better than what you were living. And then I fell off to sleep. And when I did, I saw myself and heard what to tell you. And it was this that Jesus himself was tempted with words of suicide in the wilderness experience in Luke chapter four. And one of the temptations he faced, Satan took him and put. Put him on the pinnacle of the temple and said, cast yourself down. That's that spirit of suicide. And he said, doesn't it say that the angels will take charge of you, that you won't dash your foot against a stone? What was that? A misuse of the scripture, a misapplication. Jesus rebuked it. He answered it. And Dr. Sumrall, in a service that we were with him in, he said, at some point in life, everyone will be tempted with the thoughts of suicide. Because he said, Jesus himself was tempted with that. But Jesus showed us how to answer it. And then I saw myself in that dream telling whoever this would apply to. There is no shame for you being tempted this way because it didn't originate with you. It originated with the devil. And it's not your thoughts, so there's no shame because they're not yours. Amen. Hallelujah. So what I want to do is, if that applies to someone, come up here and don't step back because of embarrassment, because there's no shame connected to this, because it's not your thoughts. But there's freedom here. I said there's freedom here. And like I said, it can be more than one. Hallelujah. Just stand over here alone. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. We thank you, Father. Hallelujah. And we'll just wait a moment. We'll just wait a moment because so many times the devil will put pressure on people to get them to step back. But I want you to know your help is here tonight. And if you. I'm not trying to prompt someone up here who shouldn't be here or this doesn't apply. I'm not trying to manipulate someone's feelings, but I'm just saying we'll wait for you because this is. This is such a help for you that we'll wait for you. Hallelujah. There's no shame. It's not something to be looked down upon. Every single one of us at some point would have rather have left and.
[04:50]
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Stayed.
[04:52]
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Because of what may be face, someone may be facing. So it's not. It's not something to be ashamed of. It's just know this, there's help. Amen. Hallelujah. And it doesn't mean you're failing because you feel something. And it doesn't mean that faith doesn't work because you feel something. God said to me months ago, I remember where I was standing when he said it. You know, it's like that when God speaks to you, it freezes that moment for you. And he said to me, he said, when the enemy tempts someone, when he suggests thoughts that trouble them. Now pay attention to this. It's very important. He said he also sends an influence that can be felt to try to persuade them to believe what he says to them. For example, if he's tempting someone with fear, then he sends that feeling of fear to try to get you to accept what he's threatening you with. If he's threatening you with failure, that you're going to lose your home or your marriage or your business, you will have the overwhelming sense of that failure. You'll feel it. It's not because it's true. It's because the devil sends an influence to get you to believe what he says. So you resist what you feel, even don't believe it. Because he mimics and imitates the way God moves. When God is wanting to bless someone and he speaks to them, you will sense the anointing. Why? Because that anointing helps you accept what God is doing for you. It doesn't make it easier to agree with what God is saying to you when you sense the anointing on you. Right. Well, the devil does the same thing, except his perverted imitation is he sends a feeling, an influence to where you Feel what he's suggesting and it seems like it's true. See, it's the same thing with. And see, you wish you could tell people who. Who are being tempted with homosexuality and lesbianism and sexual perversion because their body will feel all that. Don't believe what you feel. That's just an influence to get you to accept the threats of the mind. Doesn't matter what you feel. It matters what you choose to cooperate with. Just because you feel it does not make it true. Just because you feel a sense of hopelessness does not mean it's hopeless. Doesn't mean it's true. Amen. Hallelujah. Greater is he that's in you. Amen. The one that's in you is greater than what you may feel. The one that's in you is greater than. Than the threats and the bombardment that comes against the mind. Greater is the one that's in you than the feelings of hopelessness that may try to come over you. Amen. It's not better to leave than to stay until you. Until your race is run. That's when it's best to leave. When you're done. Amen. Hallelujah. Now I'm going to lay hands on you. But know this. What you do with your thoughts and your thought life and what you allow is something you're going to have to pay attention to once you go. Sit back down. Amen. Just because you can feel it does not make it true. Just because you hear it and it bombards you does not make it true. Amen. The Word says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Right. Faith comes by you repeatedly hearing things regarding faith. But the devil imitates that. And he tries to get you to believe what he says by repeating it day after day after day after day. But it doesn't make it true. Repetition does not equal truth. No matter how much he bombards doesn't make it true. You must answer those thoughts and those feelings. Answer them. Say, I refuse to believe that. Amen. Whatever. Whatever avenue he uses to threaten your life, it may be different for different ones. It doesn't matter what door he's banging on, whether it's about your body or whether it's a fear about your family or fear about failure. Whatever it is, it doesn't matter what the door he bangs on is. He's not after the door. He's after getting in and disturbing everything in the house. Your spirit. Amen. You are well able to guard your mind against what he says. Your mind is not his it's yours. And when it seems like your mind is not even yours anymore, get up and say, my mind is my mind. You have to answer it. Amen. No matter how much he pushes on, the thoughts of your mind refuse to turn them over. Those thoughts refuse to do that. The first thing you do when you leave this place, because some of you. I've been there. You get rutted in the bombardment of that mind. You just. That thought just comes and comes and comes. And you're trying to get rid of the thought. It's not your job to get rid of the thought. It's your job to refuse to believe the thought. Answer the thought. You understand? If he says you're going to, whatever the threat it is that he makes to you, whatever he says to you, say that's a lie. And I don't care how much you feel like it's true. Doesn't matter what you feel like. You talk to that thing. You say, that's a lie. I will not believe that. And you answer it with a scripture that applies to the threat he's bringing against your life. Jesus had to do the same thing. He had to do the same thing. His victory was in him answering. He answered what the threat was specifically. You understand that. That's your job. If he says you're going to lose your marriage, say that's a lie. I will not lose my marriage. Answer specifically what God has joined together, no man will put us under. Amen. No weapon formed against my marriage will prosper. That's a lie. If he threatens you, you're going to die early. That's a lie. With long life, he will satisfy me. See? Answer the threat. Then tell the spirit that's talking to you to leave. You understand that, Number one? Answer that threat with the word. Tell the devil. I will not believe it. I don't care what I feel. Number two, tell the spirit that was talking to you to leave. That's what Jesus said. He said, get thee behind me, Satan. Right. He answered what Satan tempted him with. And then he commanded him to leave. And the last thing he did, he worshiped. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou worship. So, number one, you answer the thought. Don't sit and go to bed with that thing cycling through your thought life. You answer it. Take charge of your mind. It is your mind. God's given you the spirit of a sound mind. It's your mind. You've not lost it. You're not losing it. It's yours. Amen. Answer it. Tell the spirit that's harassing you to leave. And number three, turn your attention away from what you're feeling and begin to worship God. Because worship brings the anointing, and the anointing destroys the yoke. Amen. Step number one. What is it? Answer it specifically with the word find a scripture. The Holy Ghost will lead you to the scripture to use. And if you don't know of one, maybe you're a young Christian. Ask somebody. There are a lot of people here that know. You can go to someone after the service and say, give me a good scripture for this. Amen. They'll help you. Number one is what? Number two is what? Tell the spirit that's speaking to you to leave. Number three is what? Worship now. See, it won't take but a moment to do number one. Won't take but a moment to do number two, but all day to do number three. A lifestyle of it. Amen. Congregation, Reach your hands toward these people. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. Free in Jesus name Be free in Jesus name Be free in Jesus name. Be free in Jesus name. Father, we thank you that as we lay hands on these claws and they are laid upon the body of that one who has been bound, we say that anointing destroys the yoke. And if there's a presence of an evil spirit, it'll drive it out. We thank you for it, Father. We thank you for it, Father. Free in Jesus name. Free in jesus name. Thank you, father. Be free in Jesus name. Free in Jesus name. Be free in Jesus name. Be free. Ah, there it goes, love. In Jesus name. Now you leave her. You leave her. Don't you come back. Be free in Jesus name. Be free in Jesus name Be free in Jesus name Satan, you take your hands off these people. They are God's property. They don't belong to you. Step up here, love. Be free in Jesus name. Be free in Jesus name. The devil hates God's plan for your life and your obedience to it. It's just a smokescreen trying to hide from your view what's on the other side of your obedience. Free in jesus name. Free in jesus name it. You belong, you fit in God's perfect plan for you. You are so welcome in his presence. Enjoy him. Enjoy him. Nothing to earn. Nothing to earn. Just enjoy. Be free in Jesus name. Be free in Jesus name Name In Jesus name. Hallelujah. I love something Sister Lillian B. Yeoman said. She said there's nothing you can't praise your way out of. When it seems like it's overwhelming, it's A lie can't overwhelm him. Sister Amy Semple McPherson was holding a tent crusade in a city that was hostile to the full gospel message. They didn't like people there speaking in tongues in their community. They thought them lunatics. Her tent was full with hundreds and hundreds of people. And some of the city rabble came out to try to shut down the meeting and surrounded, carrying torches of fire, surrounded the tent, calling in threats that they were going to burn down the tent and if anybody was in there, they'd get burned up and they better get out. So of course the people are distracted because they're all being threatened that they were going to set the tent on fire. And she looked to God and she said, what do I do? And he said, praise me. She said, that's a little hard right now, seeing the position I'm in. And he said, you're not praising me because of the position you're in. You're praising me because of the position I'm in. It's not about you. This is what worship and praise. It gets your eyes off of you. And the devil is able to trouble and torment people when their eyes are entrenched upon them. And that's why praise and worship is so important to your freedom, because it gets you off of you and gets you on the one who is your help, no matter what you're facing. So your assignment is threefold. And I say it for anybody who's facing something. What Pastor Anderson was preaching on this morning regarding sickness and disease, number one is what? Answer it. Number two, tell the devil that's troubling you to leave. And usually it's a spirit of fear. And number three, worship. Now that's going to be the bulk of your activity. Worship, worship, worship. And do it loud so that your mind can. So it gets louder than your mind. You say, well, I pray a lot in other tongues. You know, the Bible says that speak and listen. I'm not diminishing speaking in tongues, but when you speak in tongues, the mind isn't edified. The mind can keep on and going and being troubled while you're speaking, speaking in tongues, if you're facing that. I found for me, if there's a troubling of the mind, I'm going to have to praise and get louder than that. That's coming against my mind. Amen. No one can guard your mind for you. I've had people come to me and say, pastor Nancy, pray for me. I'm just harassed and troubled in my mind. I said, wait, wait, wait, A minute. I'm talking about members of the church. And I said, what you're wanting me to do is to get the devil to leave you alone. I can't get him to leave you alone. I can't get him to leave me alone. But my job is to tell you what to do when he shows up. I can't do for you what only you can do when he shows up. So tonight, if I could say it this way. Jumper cables right here transmitting power to help drive that thing back. But whenever you have your car jumped, they always say, keep the engine running. Don't turn off the engine, you'll lose the charge. How do you keep the engine running? Walk out of here. Praise God, I'm free. Thank God, I'm free. Thank God, I'm free. And if you go to bed at night tonight, and the devil says nothing's changed, oh, everything changed. Everything has changed. And I'm free. I'm free. Well, you don't feel free. It's not about what I feel, it's about what I know. Keep the engine running. Dad Hagin said it this way. Keep the switch of faith turned on. That's the exact same thing. And one of the best ways to keep the switch of faith turned on is worship. Just keep worshiping. Worship. Quit trying to figure it out. Because many got entrenched in that mental arena trying to figure it out. Listen, we've all been there. So none of us sit there and say, well, how'd you get there? We've all been there and had to get ourselves back out of there by the help of God. Amen. Your mind is your mind. Amen. The devil wants to hold you in the mental arena, getting you to try to figure out your help. You don't have to figure it out. Praise it out. Amen. Hallelujah. Again quoting Sister Yeomans. There's nothing you can't praise your way out of. There's nothing you can't praise your way out of. And the devil will say, praising is not enough for your situation. Praising is more than enough for your situation. Why? Because it brings the anointing, and the anointing destroys that which opposes you. You say it doesn't seem like it's really much. Aren't you glad God gave us the easy part? He just gave us the easy part. That's what that is. Amen. Everyone just lift your hands and say, it's so good to be free. It is so good to be free. Thank you, Father, that I'm free. Jesus, thank you for making me free. And he whom the son sets free is free indeed. Amen. I'm free. I'm free. Well, it doesn't feel any different. No, no, no. That doesn't matter. The devil sends an influence to cause you to feel the wrong thing. Don't believe the feeling. Believe what God says, and I listen. God's help for you is so sure tonight, he sent me to tell you you're free. It's for your word. That's your word tonight. That is your word. Especially those of you who came. That's you. God was speaking specifically to you. Repeat that back to the devil. Amen.
[27:37]
A
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