Episode Overview

Title: Thursday PM | Nancy Dufresne | Prayer Conference 2020
Host: Nancy Dufresne, Dufresne Ministries
Date: April 17, 2020

This episode, part of the Dufresne Ministries Prayer Conference, features Nancy Dufresne teaching on the pivotal topic of "time"—specifically, giving time to develop spiritual skillfulness through prayer, the Word, and removing distractions. She emphasizes the vital connection between spiritual growth and prioritizing God, weaving scriptural examples with personal stories to illustrate how distractions, especially those rooted in misplaced priorities, can hinder believers from experiencing God's best.

Key Themes and Discussion Points

The Divine Importance of Time in Spiritual Growth

• Spiritual Skill Requires Time:

  • Spiritual development parallels growth in any skill. Just as athletes or artists dedicate time to improve, so must believers invest time to grow in spiritual things (03:00).
  • "It's not just the hearer that's blessed, but the doer that's blessed. And so that which we've heard during this conference, we purpose to put it into action to be doers." — Nancy Dufresne (02:10)

• Intentional Time in Prayer and the Word:

  • Giving time to the Spirit—through prayer, the Word, and mind renewal—is essential to maturity.
  • "The more time you give to spiritual things, the quicker you will develop, the quicker you will grow... but even then, you can't rush growth." (07:30)

• Enemy's Strategy: Stealing Time:

  • "In the last days there's going to be strategies from the enemy to rob us of our time so that we're ineffective." (09:30)

The Dangers of Distraction: The Rich Young Ruler (Mark 10)

• Sincerity vs. Surrender:

  • The rich young ruler was genuine in his pursuit of Jesus, but could not let go of his possessions, revealing a deeper heart issue (15:20).
  • "He was sincere... But he recognized that still something was off in his life. What was it? Eternal life." (17:35)

• One Thing Lacking:

  • Jesus pinpoints the precise barrier—possessions occupying the place of God.
  • "It only takes one thing left unaddressed to rob us of the best that God has for us." (19:30)
  • "When you love someone, you're not trying to take something from them." (23:40)

• Idolatry in Modern Life:

  • Anything—possessions, family, business, even ministry—that takes precedence over obeying God becomes an idol (28:00).
  • "Whatever you put first is your Lord." (29:04)
  • "He really didn't have great possessions, great possessions had him." (35:40)

• Difference between Jesus as Savior and Lord:

  • Many want eternal life but aren't ready to let Jesus rule every aspect of their life.
  • "They want to miss hell. They want to go to heaven. ...but not everyone wants Jesus as their Lord." (32:10)
  • True spiritual progress requires surrender, not just belief.

The Call to Change: Personal and Biblical Examples

• Refusing Change Stagnates Growth:

  • Recounting how disobeying the nudge to end certain relationships stalled Nancy's spiritual advancement (41:30).
  • "Wherever we won't make a change, that's our stopping place." (43:15)

• Anecdote: Kenneth E. Hagin—Obedience and Stagnation:

  • Story contrasting a young man who quickly repented for a mistake and became useful to God, versus an elderly church pillar who ignored God's call for 50 years and never advanced spiritually—highlighting that longevity or activity doesn't ensure growth (44:10).

Relationships, Leadership, and Distractions: The Paul, Barnabas, and Mark Incident

• Family or Preference Should Not Trump God's Instruction:

  • Barnabas was "determined" to take a relative (Mark) on mission against Paul's better judgment, driven by personal preference rather than divine direction (54:30).

• Spiritual Maturity Before Leadership Appointments:

  • Drawing from her own early marriage to a seasoned minister, Nancy illustrates the dangers of placing spiritually immature individuals into leadership (01:07:20).
  • "Just because someone can sing well doesn’t mean they're ready to be on the front platform." (01:10:40)

• Success Is Not Automatic by Association:

  • Each believer, including ministers' relatives, must develop their spiritual life individually (01:19:00).
  • "Success isn’t automatic, no matter who you're related to." (01:19:40)

Practical Solutions: Overcoming Distraction

• Simplify and Be Still:

  • Quoting Dad Hagin: "Busy, busy, busy..."—warning ministers and believers of substituting activity for intimacy with God (01:29:30).
  • Billy Graham’s poignant regret: "I am the greatest failure of all men. ...I was with too many people when I should have been more with God." (01:33:00)

• Be Still and Know God (Psalm 46:10):

  • "There are some things that can only be learned in the stillness... Some people live their lives so loudly that they can’t hear His voice." (01:37:40)

Pressing Into the Glory: Laying Aside Weights (Hebrews 12:1)

• The Necessity of Deliberate Choices:

  • "Lay aside every encumbrance, unnecessary weight, and that sin which ... entangles us. Looking away from all that will distract, to Jesus." (01:46:20)

• Cost of Distraction:

  • Even good things—saving money, relationships, ministry work—can become distractions if not rightly prioritized.
  • "Saving money is a distraction from the plan of God—when that money is there to help you fulfill the plan of God." (01:50:30)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Distractions:
  "One of the devices the devil uses against Christians to cause them to not develop is to rob them of their time through distractions." — Nancy Dufresne (11:30)

• On Obedience:
  "Wherever we won't make a change, that's our stopping place." — Nancy Dufresne (43:15)

• On Spiritual Growth:
  "It takes time for us to become skillful with the benefits and privileges [of salvation]." — Nancy Dufresne (53:30)

• On Ministry Activity:
  "The work of the ministry is no substitute for time with God." — Nancy Dufresne quoting Dad Hagin and reflecting on Billy Graham’s admission (01:33:20)

• On Stillness:
  "There are some things that can only be learned in the stillness." — Nancy Dufresne (01:37:40)

Timestamps for Key Sections

• Opening Prayer & Introduction to "Time" Theme: (00:00–04:32)
• Learning Spiritual Skillfulness, Importance of Time: (04:32–10:00)
• Enemy’s Strategy: Distraction and Time Theft: (10:00–14:00)
• The Rich Young Ruler – Sincerity vs. Obedience: (14:00–37:00)
• What We Serve Is Our Lord (Idolatry): (28:00–36:00)
• Difference: Jesus as Savior vs. Lord: (32:00–36:30)
• Personal Call to Obedience, Stalling Spiritual Growth: (41:20–44:00)
• Anecdote: Sister Smith and the Call Ignored: (44:00–49:00)
• Acts 15 – Paul, Barnabas, Mark – Dangers of Preference Over God’s Direction: (54:00–1:07:00)
• Importance of Spiritual Readiness Before Leadership: (1:07:00–1:20:00)
• On “Busy, Busy, Busy”—Ministry Activity vs. Intimacy with God: (1:29:30–1:36:00)
• Stillness, Psalm 46:10, Hearing God’s Voice: (1:36:00–1:42:00)
• Hebrews 12—Laying Aside Weights, Looking to Jesus: (1:46:00–1:51:00)
• Final Reflections and Closing Prayer: (1:51:00–end)

Closing Takeaway

Nancy Dufresne closes with a powerful call for listeners to:

• Choose Jesus as both Savior and Lord
• Make deliberate decisions to eliminate distractions, simplify life, and prioritize time with God
• Understand that spiritual success, skill, and experiencing God’s best require intentionality, change, and stillness

This episode is an exhortation to all Christians to reclaim their time from the tyranny of busyness and distractions, and to invest themselves in spiritual growth, intimacy with God, and obedience to His call—even and especially when it involves necessary change.