Podcast Summary: Talk It Over With God | Nancy Dufresne | Prayer Conference 2024 | Tuesday PM

Podcast: Dufresne Ministries Podcast
Host/Speaker: Nancy Dufresne
Date: April 10, 2024
Episode: Talk It Over With God - Prayer Conference 2024, Tuesday PM

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt and practical sermon from the 2024 Prayer Conference, Pastor Nancy Dufresne delves into the intimacy and transformative power of "talking things over with God." Drawing from Isaiah 1:18 and personal experiences, Nancy emphasizes that prayer is not simply about presenting requests, but about engaging in authentic dialogue—presenting our hearts and, more vitally, hearing from God. The episode explores how to overcome barriers in approaching God, develop a maturing prayer life, and how true spiritual progress is inseparable from hearing God’s side of the conversation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Divine Invitation: “Let’s Talk It Over”

• Scripture Foundation: Isaiah 1:18 – “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord…”
  • King James and Living Bible translations explored.
  • God invites us to a dialogue, not just a monologue of our needs (02:12).
• Intimacy in Prayer: Prayer is a two-way, intimate conversation, not just a flow of requests. A mature prayer life balances sharing our hearts with allowing God to share His thoughts (05:51).
• Overcoming Guilt: Sin is not a disqualifier; God assures us, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.” The enemy tries to use guilt to distance us from God, but God’s invitation stands (07:30).

2. Faithfulness, Repentance, and the Power of the Blood

• Repentance as Strength: “Repentance is not a sign of someone who's weak. The failure to repent is weakness” (16:53).
• After Repentance: Once we genuinely repent, we must magnify the power of the blood of Jesus, seeing ourselves as clean and restored, not condemned (18:41).

3. Dialogue, Not Checklist Prayer

• Talking Over with God: We often shortchange ourselves by presenting needs without staying to receive God’s input. “You see your side, God offers His perspective. Let’s talk this over because He sees the whole” (09:23).
• Continuation in Prayer: Maintain requests before God with ongoing praise and thanksgiving, not by repetitious petition but by “watching over” them (13:35).
• Use of Prayer Lists: Lists are for remembrance, not for legalistic or passionless recitation (15:08).

4. Hearing God: The Crux of Spiritual Life

• Hearing Transforms Outcomes: “Being heard is part of it, but it doesn’t matter if you’re heard if you don’t take time to hear, because the difference is in what He says. That’s where faith comes” (26:10).
• Spirit vs. Mind: Bring your spirit, not just your mind to God. Faith and spiritual revelation reside in the heart. “You can’t believe God with the mind… The mind is to agree with the faith that’s in your spirit” (28:45).
• Renewing the Mind: It is through renewing our minds that we bring intellectual agreement with divine revelation (32:30).

5. Practical Protection and Divine Guidance

• God’s Protection through His Word: Protection often comes through what God speaks, not just supernatural intervention. “Speak the word only” (40:08).
• Stay and Hear: “He doesn’t tell us when to leave; He just says ‘come.’ The longer you stay, the more you hear” (44:14).

6. Illustrative Stories & Memorable Moments

a) Kenneth Hagin’s Testimony – The Importance of Perceiving and Hearing (47:08)

• Story: Kenneth Hagin sensed danger (being thrown from a car), acted partially (told his wife to buckle up), but missed fully interceding because he didn’t talk it over with God.
• Lesson: “When you know in part, that’s an invitation to take the part you know to God and hear the whole.”

b) Pleading a Case with God about His Mother (53:49)

• Story: Kenneth Hagin, out of deep intimacy, pleaded for his mother’s healing. God granted his request but advised it wasn’t best—her last years were very hard.
• Point: Authentic dialogue means being open to God’s view, not just insisting on our desires.

c) Dating & Hearing God’s Will (1:00:55)

• Modern Life Applications: Nancy humorously addresses how passivity—often seen in dating today—hinders both relationships and hearing divine direction.
• Quote: “You can’t steer a parked car… You have to have some action. God can direct you, but you gotta give him something to direct.”

7. Hearing Precedes Power, Healing, and Direction

• Biblical Principle: Jesus’ miracles were facilitated by people coming to "hear and be healed"—hearing is prerequisite to receiving (1:13:17).
• Life Application: Guidance for major life decisions comes through hearing God, not mere enthusiasm. “Zeal does not equal skill.”

8. Real-World Practices: Movement & Fellowship

• Movement of Faith: Natural actions (e.g., engaging in relationships) reflect (and facilitate) spiritual responsiveness.
• Direct, Honest Communication: God desires face-to-face, heart-to-heart exchange—not just “screen-to-screen” or “token” engagement—a relevant challenge to today’s tech culture (1:18:55).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments by Timestamp

• On God’s Invitation:
  “Come, let us talk this over, says the Lord. I like that. What’s that speak of? Intimacy. That prayer is not just a flow of requests, it’s a talking over with Him.”
  — Nancy Dufresne (04:00)

• On Repentance:
  “Repentance is not a sign of someone who’s weak. The failure to repent is weakness. It’s a weak person who won’t repent… When someone repents, that’s strength.”
  — Nancy Dufresne (16:53)

• On Listening:
  “Being heard is part of it, but it doesn’t matter that you’re heard if you don't take time to hear, because the difference is in what He says. That’s where things change.”
  — Nancy Dufresne (26:10)

• On Engaging Spiritually:
  “Bring your spirit, not just your mind. You can’t believe God with your mind… Faith is of the heart.”
  — Nancy Dufresne (28:45)

• On God’s Guidance:
  “The longer you stay, the more you hear. If we bypass coming, we bypass hearing. If we fail to come, we fail to hear.”
  — Nancy Dufresne (44:30)

• On Taking Action:
  “You can’t steer a parked car… You have to get that thing moving. But you don’t have to get it moving 150 mph—just back out of the driveway real slow.”
  — Nancy Dufresne (1:01:21)

• On Hearing and Receiving:
  “Why does it seem some know God’s plan for their lives while others bump from wall to wall? It’s about hearing. Our direction for life is in our hearing.”
  — Nancy Dufresne (1:13:40)

• On Modern Challenges:
  “If you’re content with screen-to-screen, you’ll never really understand the intimacy of face-to-face, heart-to-heart… These are all practiced flows.”
  — Nancy Dufresne (1:19:12)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Opening Prayer & Theme (Invitation to Talk with God): 00:00–08:50
• Exploring Isaiah 1:18 & Approach to God: 08:50–20:15
• Repentance and Authority of the Blood: 15:35–20:15
• Hearing God’s Side of the Conversation: 26:10–36:20
• Walking by Faith, Not Just Mind: 28:45–36:54
• Protection Through Hearing: 40:08–46:40
• Kenneth Hagin’s Stories (Perceiving & Missing God): 47:08–53:49
• Pleading Your Case with God (Hagin’s Mother): 53:49–59:44
• Dating, Practicality, and Spiritual Life: 1:00:55–1:12:38
• Hearing Precedes Miracles, Healing, Direction: 1:13:17–1:17:35
• Face-to-Face Intimacy vs. Digital Disengagement: 1:18:55–1:21:30
• Closing Prayer & Worship Song: 1:08:30–1:10:26, 1:21:30–end

Tone & Style

Nancy Dufresne’s approach is candid, warm, and direct, often weaving humor and personal anecdotes with deep biblical teaching. Her tone encourages practical spirituality and genuine intimacy with God, valuing honest, two-way communication over religious formality or performance.

Conclusion

This episode is a masterclass on the relational, interactive nature of prayer. Nancy Dufresne compels listeners to “come, talk it over with God,” emphasizing authentic repentance, hearing God’s perspective, and acting in faith. The call is clear: prayer is a divine invitation to both speak and—most importantly—listen. The changes, victories, and protections we long for are birthed out of these conversations with the Father, practiced daily, heart-to-heart.

For more teachings and resources, visit dufresneministries.org.