Podcast Summary

Podcast: Dufresne Ministries Podcast
Episode: Tuesday PM | Nancy Dufresne | Prayer Conference 2020
Date: April 15, 2020
Speaker: Pastor Nancy Dufresne

Episode Overview

In this Prayer Conference session, Pastor Nancy Dufresne teaches on the significance, responsibility, and spiritual power of prayer in the believer’s life. Drawing from the writings of E.W. Kenyon, quotes from Dad Hagin and Dr. Lester Sumrall, and sharing her own personal experiences, Nancy unpacks how obedience in prayer positions us to cooperate with God, receive revelation, and exercise true spiritual authority. The recurring theme is the necessity of dedicating time to spiritual pursuits, particularly prayer, to develop spiritual effectiveness and sensitivity to God.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Privilege and Responsibility of Prayer

• Prayer is Critical in a Believer’s Life

  • Quoting E.W. Kenyon:

    “Some have said that prayer is the greatest opportunity ever afforded to a man in Christ. If this is true, then you can understand why there would be enemies to stand in the way of a prayer life.” (05:30)

  • The enemy's strategy is to distract and weaken prayer lives, both individually and corporately.

• Everyone Has a Place in Prayer

  • Every member in the body of Christ is needed; nobody is “useless” or without a place in the spiritual body (13:30).
  • Feelings of spiritual lack or inadequacy are often the enemy’s strategy to make believers neglect their supply in prayer.

• Personal Testimony on Realizing Her Prayer Role

  • Nancy shares how as a young wife and new minister, she felt “behind” and without much to contribute:

    “You have approached the ministry and your spiritual life as the one needing to catch up, but you have not considered that you have a supply to bring.” (18:20)

  • God warned her that failing to take her place in prayer was leaving her husband’s ministry without necessary support and leaving her out of God’s obedience.

The Danger of Neglecting Prayer

• Disobedience Opens the Door to the Enemy

  • Neglecting to pray as God leads can open the door to attacks—physically, financially, relationally (22:20).
  • Example: God told Nancy, “If you will take time to pray, you will be healed.” (24:15)
    • Not because prayer "earns" healing, but because obedience closes doors the enemy exploits.

• Kenyon’s Warning:

  “The price you pay for staying out of the will of God is expensive. You may pay it in sickness, loss of money, or in unhappiness with your loved ones.” (21:50)

• Assessing Attacks and Needs

  • It’s right to use authority against the devil (rebuking, etc.), but we should also ask: “Am I taking my place in prayer for my church, pastor, nation, and others?” (28:00)
  • Sometimes issues persist due to neglect of the prayer ministry God has called us to.

Prayer as Fellowship, Not Just Requests

• Communion Over Duty

  • Prayer should be as natural and essential as breathing or eating (35:50).
  • Fellowship with God in prayer is based not just on need, but relationship.
  • Kenyon:

    “Prayer should be as unconscious as our communication with each other... not simply the child of need, but should be based on a spiritual fellowship with the Father.” (37:00)

• Our Needs Become His Needs

  • In true fellowship, what concerns us concerns Him, because we are one with Him—every ability, belonging, and authority is His through us (39:00).

The Practice of Prayer: Habits and Skill

• Forming a Prayer Habit

  • Kenyon:

    “Habits are a child of our choice. We are what we make ourselves. This prayer habit will be born of your own will.” (42:10)

  • Prayer should never be mere duty—it’s designed to be a joyful visit with the Father.

• Jesus as Model Prayer

  • Jesus' effectiveness in prayer and ministry was not due to Him being uniquely divine, but His knowledge of His authority and rights, and His habit of prayer (44:30).

• Dad Seymour and Azusa Street

  • Prayer brings forth new revelations for each era; these must be “labored for” in prayer, not earned (47:45).

Spiritual Authority and Following the Spirit

• Receiving Direction and Dominion Through Prayer

  • Dr. Lester Sumrall:

    “It is not possible to possess great dominion without constantly returning to the Master to receive instructions from Him.” (53:30)

  • Jesus only acted on what He heard or saw from the Father during prayer and fellowship (54:00).

• Importance of Giving Time to Spiritual Things

  • God to Nancy:

    “You can only develop spiritually as you give proper time to spiritual things.” (01:00:00)

  • Our level of development is determined not by God, but by the time we invest.

Learning through Testimonies and Illustrations

• Dad Hagin’s Missed Leading

  • Dad Hagin sensed a warning (being thrown from a vehicle), but did not take enough time in the Spirit to discern or intervene, costing the life of a relative (01:05:00).

    “Just sensing something does not mean victory. Just sensing something doesn’t mean something is going to change.” (01:14:50)

• Personal Vision: Toddler and the Silver SUV

  • Nancy, in prayer, saw a vision of a toddler about to be run over. She took authority—commanding protection in Jesus' name. Months later, a child in that exact scenario was unharmed after a car ran over him twice (01:20:30).

    “When God shows you something, He’s not just showing you so you can say you saw it. He’s showing you so you’ll do something.” (01:21:20)

• Spiritual Authority vs. Praying in Tongues

  • To deal with a spiritual attack or danger, authority must be taken in the believer’s known language; praying in tongues alone does not resist the devil (01:24:00).
  • Real-life examples where praying in tongues (without exercising authority) did not stop tragic outcomes; the co-pilot who survived a plane crash was the only one who took authority in Jesus’ name (01:29:30).

The Value of Time Invested in Prayer

• More Time, More Revelation

  • The more time we spend praying (especially in tongues), the more God can show us. It’s about positioning, not earning (01:31:20).
  • Spiritual skills, like natural ones, require invested time. No one becomes skillful without investing (01:36:30).

    “Someone with an authority that we’re not developed and how to exercise...won’t benefit anyone.” (01:38:30)

• Concluding Exhortation

  • Prayer is both privilege and protection. Our authority is for use “on earth,” and heaven will back up what we bind and loose (01:41:00).
  • Believers must not assume God will intervene; He’s given authority to the church.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On The Enemy’s Opposition to Prayer:

  "The devil hates your prayer life because he's the one who suffers from it the most." – Nancy Dufresne [06:50]

• On Every Believer’s Place:

  “If anyone thinks that because of lack of training or for lack of this or that, he hasn't a place, he's deluded by the enemy.” – E.W. Kenyon (read by Nancy) [13:50]

• On Spiritual Disobedience:

  “The price you pay for staying out of the will of God is expensive.” – E.W. Kenyon [21:50]

• On Prayer as Fellowship:

  “Prayer is a visit with our Father. We should think of it as a rare opportunity.” – E.W. Kenyon [42:40]

• On Skill and Time:

  “Spiritual things, we have to take time to develop. It takes time to learn how to pray. It takes time to get full of the Word.” – Nancy Dufresne [01:36:50]

• On Authority:

  “You tread upon serpents and upon scorpions and over all the power of the enemy. You have to do something, you have to take your authority over...” – Nancy Dufresne [01:31:00]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [04:30] – Introduction; E.W. Kenyon’s influence and importance of prayer
• [13:30] – No “useless” members in the body of Christ
• [18:20] – God’s correction on Nancy’s role in ministry prayer (personal story)
• [21:50] – Kenyon: The high cost of neglecting God’s will
• [24:15] – Healing and prayer—obedience, not earning
• [35:50] – The nature of prayer: Breath, food, fellowship
• [44:30] – Jesus as our model in prayer and authority
• [47:45] – Dad Seymour: Prayer for the era’s required revelations
• [53:30] – Dr. Sumrall: Instructions for dominion through prayer
• [01:00:00] – God’s emphasis: The importance of “time”
• [01:05:00] – Dad Hagin's testimony: Sensing danger; cost of busyness
• [01:14:50] – Sensing vs. securing victory
• [01:20:30] – The toddler and the silver SUV: Vision, prayer, and miraculous protection
• [01:29:30] – Plane crash story: Taking authority vs. praying in tongues
• [01:36:30] – Practice and time: Skill in prayer and spiritual things
• [01:41:00] – Binding and loosing: Authority in the earth

Tone and Style

• Warm, exhortative, and practical; Nancy is personal, compassionate, and direct.
• Frequent scriptural references, quotes, and stories—emphasizing personal responsibility and God’s faithfulness
• Encouragement paired with sobering warnings about the real consequences of neglected prayer

Summary Takeaway

This episode powerfully underscores that spiritual advancement is not about waiting on God, but about how much time we invest in prayer, the Word, and following the Spirit. Every believer has a vital, irreplaceable role in God’s plan, and obedience in prayer is both a privilege and a safeguard—for ourselves and others. Using our spiritual authority is essential, and prayer positions us to see, receive, and act on God’s directions for victory and protection, both for ourselves and those we’re called to intercede for.