Dufresne Ministries Podcast

Episode: Prayer & No Condemnation | Nancy Dufresne | Prayer Conference 2022
Date: April 7, 2022
Location: World Harvest Church, Murrieta, CA
Speaker: Pastor Nancy Dufresne

Episode Overview

In this prayer conference message, Pastor Nancy Dufresne teaches on how condemnation—rooted in the enemy’s accusations—hinders effective prayer and faith. She explores how understanding our identity "in Christ" enables believers to walk in authority and boldness, bear spiritual fruit, and experience victory in every area, particularly prayer. The episode focuses on breaking free from self-condemnation, embracing forgiveness, and living out of Christ’s completed work rather than our own failings.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Interconnectedness of Prayer and Daily Life

• Prayer isn’t isolated: Pastor Nancy emphasizes that our prayer life is deeply connected to the rest of our lives (00:50).
  • The way we live, our love walk, faith, and relationships impact prayer effectiveness.
  • Example: A husband’s conduct in marriage can affect his prayers (01:38).

Satan: The Accuser and Condemnation as a Strategy

• Satan as “The Accuser of the Brethren” (05:04):
  • The enemy specifically attacks believers through accusations, aiming to trap them in condemnation.
  • “One of the greatest hindrances to our prayer life is this thing of condemnation… It comes from the accuser of the brethren.” (05:21)
• Condemnation equals sin-consciousness (06:32):
  • The devil accuses believers with their own real past faults, keeping them focused on the “old man”.

Authority and the Importance of Boldness

• Our authority in Christ:
  • Believers are given authority over the devil, the world’s flow, and the flesh (12:49).
  • “Our authority holds him [the devil] back.” (14:24)
  • Christians must occupy their seat of authority for God’s plan to be accomplished (15:45).
• Why the devil wants to keep us condemned (16:48):
  • Condemnation robs us of boldness and hinders faith—key ingredients for prayer and victory.
  • Quoting scripture: “There are many voices in the world, and none of them without signification.” (17:54)
  • When people are under condemnation, they are less likely to exercise authority.

The Devil’s (Already Defeated) Position

• Scriptural foundation: 1 Corinthians 2:6 (28:20)
  • The “princes of this world” (i.e., demons) are “dethroned,” “useless,” and “declining to their end.” (30:02)
  • “When you know the truth that they are dethroned, they become useless in their efforts against you.” (30:41)
  • Demons aren’t gaining strength—their fate is sealed, and their influence only persists where there’s ignorance (31:23).
• Don’t be impressed by the world’s darkness:
  • The world gets darker, but “brighter in the church” (35:35).

How Condemnation Disables Believers

• Condemnation destroys self-image and ability to receive (41:03):
  • Many struggle not with giving but with receiving. A diminished self-image can keep believers from taking what God wants to give.
  • “Why should the sinner enjoy their time on the earth more than us? Something’s wrong.” (43:14)
• Condemnation intensifies in times of promotion/increase (47:28):
  • The accuser “dog piles” condemnation to abort your advancement.
  • If you’re on the verge of increase, expect condemnation to try to pull you back.

The Biblical Response: No Condemnation in Christ

• Romans 8:1 - “Now no condemnation” (54:31)
  • The deadline for condemnation is now for every believer who is in Christ.
  • “Are you born again? Are you in Christ? ... There’s your get out of jail for free card right there. No more condemnation jail.” (55:55)
• Don’t live in comparison or dwell on the past:
  • There is no measurement or ranking of sins; all sin is addressed equally by Christ (57:08).
  • God’s method is instant—not drawn out or dependent on talking it out or letting others validate your “worthiness” (58:22).
• Self-image and the “In Him” realities:
  • All self-image problems are resolved by renewing your mind to who you are in Christ, not by searching for or “finding yourself” elsewhere (01:00:33).
  • “Do not ever let it come to you that ‘I’ve got to stop doing what I’m doing so I can go find myself.’ It’s called Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians... there you found yourself!” (01:01:41)

Skillful Living Free of Condemnation

• Renewing the mind is safety (01:08:21):
  • Meditate on “in Him” scriptures, build truth into your spirit.
  • Everyone has a level playing field in Christ—regardless of background, upbringing, or appearance (01:11:36).
• Condemnation robs you of miracles. Don’t let a negative self-image keep you from receiving from God (01:12:24).
• Don’t assign negativity to yourself and project it onto others:
  • Example: The Israelites saw themselves as “grasshoppers” and assumed others did too (01:13:56).

Recognizing Conviction vs. Condemnation

• Condemnation pulls you down; conviction lifts you out (01:21:16):
  • Conviction from the Holy Spirit shows you what to change, offering hope and direction.
  • Condemnation removes hope, makes you feel worthless, and is never from God.
  • “None of that [pronouncement of guilt, worthlessness, destruction] describes anyone in Christ.” (01:22:13)

The Power of the Blood and Forgiveness

• The blood of Christ covers every flaw: (Story of Ed Dufresne’s vision, 01:31:54)
  • “My blood covers it all…every single crack, every single flaw…We have the blood. The devil’s got a decline to the end.”
• Forgive yourself as God has forgiven you (01:37:01):
  • Don’t linger in regret or talk yourself out of forgiveness.
  • “To fail to forgive yourself is to doubt that God forgave you.” (01:39:24)
  • Practice immediate repentance—don’t be slow to clear your conscience.

Walking in Rest, Not Striving

• Your success is in Christ, not in personal striving (01:47:53):
  • Quit “striving to make it; you’ve made it.”
  • When you repent, your past is “annihilated,” as if you’d never missed it (Isaiah 43:25, 01:52:17).

Practical Application in Prayer

• When praying, the enemy attempts to distract through condemnation (01:59:03):
  • Especially when praying in tongues, be vigilant to turn attention from thoughts of condemnation back to your spirit.
  • Actively answer accusations: “That’s a lie, that’s forgiven, that’s forgotten, dead issue.”

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “One of the greatest hindrances to our prayer life is this thing of condemnation. It comes. Condemnation comes from the accuser of the brethren.” — Nancy Dufresne (05:23)
• “If they can have a nice house, I can have a nice house. If they can have a bigger house than they need, I can have a bigger house than I need. Why should the sinner enjoy their time on the earth more than us? Something’s wrong.” — Nancy Dufresne (43:17)
• “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus… That is the deadline. That’s the deadline on condemnation for God’s people. It ends now.” (54:31)
• “Do not ever let it come to you that ‘I’ve got to stop doing what I’m doing so I can go find myself.’ ...Open your Bible and find yourself. There you go. Whoo. There you are. Gotcha. Found you. Found me. We once were lost, but now we are found. We’re not lost out looking for ourselves.” (01:01:35)
• “Anything that puts you down, anything that diminishes you, anything that makes you feel less than, you better take your authority and deal with that. Deal with it. Deal with it. It is the accuser of the brethren.” (01:15:58)
• “Your own spirit will convict you of things. But conviction shows you what to change…Condemnation, condemnation takes all hope out to where you feel as though you’re pushed down. You don’t see yourself any better. You don’t see things getting better. Because condemnation takes the hope out of people.” (01:21:20)
• “To fail to forgive yourself is to doubt that God forgave you. You have to...Did God forgive you or not? You mean that He can forgive you, but you can’t forgive you? …Condemnation feeds on people who do not forgive themselves.” (01:39:24)
• “Your past is worthy of one thing—forgetting.” (01:44:48)
• “We are authorized to quit looking at us… To quit looking inward at me or you at self to find, to feel good about ourselves. We’re dismissed from that. He is the best place to look. And who we are in Him is what we’re to be occupied with.” (01:56:03)

Key Timestamps

• 00:00 – Introduction; connection between life and the prayer life
• 05:04 – Satan as the accuser of the brethren
• 12:49 – Authority over the world, the devil, the flesh
• 28:20 – “Princes of this world” scriptural basis for Satan’s defeat
• 35:35 – The devil’s decline; brighter in the church, darkness in the world
• 47:28 – Condemnation intensifies at moments of promotion and increase
• 54:31 – Romans 8:1, ‘Now no condemnation’ explained as a present reality
• 01:00:33 – Finding identity in Christ vs. self-exploration
• 01:13:56 – The grasshopper complex: self-assigned inferiority
• 01:21:16 – Conviction vs. condemnation
• 01:31:54 – Ed Dufresne’s vision: the blood covers every flaw
• 01:37:01 – Forgiving yourself; practicing quick repentance
• 01:47:53 – Resting in Christ’s finished work, not striving in self
• 01:52:17 – Isaiah 43:25 – God blots out our sins for His sake
• 01:59:03 – Handling condemnation during prayer, especially when praying in tongues

Conclusion

Pastor Nancy’s message underscores that condemnation is a primary tactic the enemy uses to rob believers of their authority, boldness, and effectiveness in prayer. The cure is rooted in an ongoing revelation of who we are in Christ—a truth best accessed by meditating on the Word, renewing the mind, and refusing to let feelings or accusations define us. Forgiveness, both God’s and our own toward ourselves, is immediate and total. Walking free of condemnation, believers are empowered to fully exercise their spiritual authority, receive God’s best, and be effective co-laborers with God, especially in prayer.