Teaching from chapter 6

1. PRAYER – THE HEART OF IT ALL – P. DOUGLAS SMALL – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ©
SECTION Two
Growing in
Prayer
CHAPTER
SIX
 Faith in the Home
Inset: Bless Your Children
 Couple’s Praying
Together
The Christian Difference
The Prayer Difference
Prayer Implications for a
Couple
 Prayer Goals for a Couple
Inset: Couples Prayer
 Church at Home
 Let the Children Pray
The Praying
Family!

2. PRAYER – THE HEART OF IT ALL – P. DOUGLAS SMALL – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ©
A Bible literacy test in an American
congregation conducted a survey:
In a congregation that numbered 300,
many could not identify Calvary as the
place of Jesus’ death.
 Gethsemane rang no bell for 43
percent.
Pentecost had no significance for 75
percent.
Only five percent got a score in the
range of 90-100.
Only 12 percent answered 70 percent
of the questions correctly.
About 80 percent knew less than half
of the answers to simple Bible facts.
Does it make a difference?

3. PRAYER – THE HEART OF IT ALL – P. DOUGLAS SMALL – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ©
Fifty years ago, multiple voices – churches,
schools, neighbors, businesses, the community,
government, all – reinforced the same values.
The voices now espouse different values, but they
increasing resonate together with decidedly anti-
biblical values.
The books used in public schools, in a single
stack, would reach a height of two-stories. In that
stack of books, would be no Bible; and at those
schools, no officially sanctioned Christian prayer.
Christian students and ideas are censored,
Christian subjects disapproved. But the problem
cannot be fixed by merely returning prayer and
Bible reading to schools.

4. PRAYER – THE HEART OF IT ALL – P. DOUGLAS SMALL – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ©
Deuteronomy 6:1-7…
These are the commandments…the Lord God
commanded to teach you, that you might do them…That
you might fear the Lord your God, to keep all His
statutes and his commandments, which I command you,
and thy son, and your son’s son, all the days of your life;
that your days may be prolonged…that it may be well
with you, and that you may increase mightily, as the
Lord God of your fathers has promised you, in the land
that flows with milk and honey.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, and with all your might. And these
words, which I command you today shall be in your
heart; you shall teach them diligently to your children,
and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when
you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you
rise up.

5. PRAYER – THE HEART OF IT ALL – P. DOUGLAS SMALL – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ©
Faith is transmitted inter-generationally, and the
place of transmission is not the synagogue or the
temple.
The home is the institution upon which God
depends for the transmission of faith.
While “sitting in the house” or “walking by the way,”
when “rising up” in the morning or retiring in the
evening, there were conversations about the Lord.
Spontaneous faith lessons were to occur.
Praise was heard.
Sincere prayers were to be prayed.
Every day, God was acknowledged.
He was never taken for granted, never ignored.
Silence does not honor Him appropriately.

6. PRAYER – THE HEART OF IT ALL – P. DOUGLAS SMALL – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ©
Couples Praying Together…
Every husband and wife should pray together,
daily if possible, not less than weekly.
A cup of coffee in the morning combined with a
morning prayer is a simple and good way to begin the
day.
Add a devotional.
Read Scripture together.
Read through the Bible together in a year.
Select a book to study together.
Pray together regularly for your children and
grandchildren. Call them by name. Pause over each
name.
Give the Holy Spirit an opportunity to impress
your heart and mind with others in view. That
could lead to some adventuresome days.

7. PRAYER – THE HEART OF IT ALL – P. DOUGLAS SMALL – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ©
The Christian Difference…
When couples attend church regularly, the divorce rate
drops by 35 percent.
A University of Chicago survey: 75% of couples who pray
with their spouses report marriages that are “very happy.”
 Those who pray together were more likely to respect each other,
 Discuss their marriage goals together, and report high levels of
intimacy.
When a couple has received pre-marital counseling,
attend church and pray together, the probability of
divorce is one in 39,000.
Church attendance is good – a modest drop in divorce;
but praying together pulverizes divorce.
This is the power of practicing faith together.

8. PRAYER – THE HEART OF IT ALL – P. DOUGLAS SMALL – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ©
Prayer Implications for a
Couple…
When a couple prays together:
They provide a safe and regular forum to invite God
into personal and marital struggles.
Each hears the concerns of the other, especially
spiritual and relational burdens.
They develop a capacity for greater openness with one
another.
The bond between them becomes stronger – not just
physical attraction – but a more holistic bonding takes
place involving the emotional and spiritual levels.
Their unity increases.
They find themselves consistently on the same page
about issues they face.
They invite God to intervene in their lives and the lives
of their children. And he does.

9. PRAYER – THE HEART OF IT ALL – P. DOUGLAS SMALL – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ©
Prayer Implications for a
Couple…
Couples should pray about everything together.
When they do:
They report miraculous results as a result of prayer.
Their number of disagreements declines.
Their stress levels are lower. Issues are taken to God in
prayer; they are looking to him for answers.
They tend to be more patient with each other.
They see things from an eternal perspective.
They lay a spiritual foundation for a spiritual legacy for
their children.
They invite God to be an active participant in their life,
directing, protecting, providing.
They honor and celebrate God’s Presence.

10. PRAYER – THE HEART OF IT ALL – P. DOUGLAS SMALL – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ©
Prayer Goals for a Couple…
Pray daily for your children.
Pray for unsaved family members and friends.
Pray for your pastor and other spiritual leaders.
Pray regularly for some ministry of the church.
Adopt at least one missionary for prayer.
Adopt a nation, and intercede for a great
awakening in that nation.
Adopt an unreached people group.
Adopt a ministry that works in the community.
Pray for a mayor, a council member, legislator,
senator, a congressman, the President.

11. PRAYER – THE HEART OF IT ALL – P. DOUGLAS SMALL – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ©
New Testament Parenting
Tips…
Ephesians 6:4, “And, you fathers, do not provoke your
children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and
admonition of the Lord.”
This command is specifically for fathers.
They are urged not “to provoke their children to
wrath.”
Provoke (parorgízō) is from pará, "close-beside"
and orgízō, "become angry.“ It is ‘up-close-and-
personal’ negative passion. It is invasive. Threatening.
It is toxic temperament.
Our relating should not irritate or exasperate a child.
We avoid provoking negative behavior in them.
We related in a way that invites a positive response.

12. PRAYER – THE HEART OF IT ALL – P. DOUGLAS SMALL – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ©
New Testament Parenting
Tips…
Ephesians 6:4, “And, you fathers, do not provoke your
children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and
admonition of the Lord.”
The second command is positive. Fathers are to “bring
them up” in the training (nurture).
 “Let them be fondly cherished,” Calvin.
 Nourish them upward to maturity. Train them warmly.
 Provide instruction, with the goal proper behavior, godly
habits for responsible living, but do so positively, nurturing.
 Train, correct, cultivate, and educate children in order to help
them develop and mature as they ought. Truth them in love.
The home is God’s discipleship institution. Children
are the disciples of Christian parents!
 They learn to talk like us, gesture like us, duplicate our
habits. They even look like us.

13. PRAYER – THE HEART OF IT ALL – P. DOUGLAS SMALL – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ©
New Testament Parenting
Tips…
Ephesians 6:4, “And, you fathers, do not provoke your
children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and
admonition of the Lord.”
Fathers are to “nurture [train], and to admonish.
 The first tool, nurture, involves love, positive
correction, instruction and redirection.
The second tool is admonition: warning and reproof.
 Greek: “nouthesia,” from “nous” (“mind” or “intellect”) and
“tithemi” (“to put or to place”).
 It is the idea of “putting or placing something in the mind.”
 It implies content.
 The father helps the child see positive alternatives to life
choices.
 Admonition is not the same as prohibition.
 It doesn’t simply say, “No!” It points out the right way!

14. PRAYER – THE HEART OF IT ALL – P. DOUGLAS SMALL – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ©
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