Morning Resolve

""A Morning Resolve,"" an Episcopal prayer printed on the inside front cover of Forward Day by Day, is a ""help me tend my spiritual garden"" prayer. It asks for God's help in living a simple, sincere, and serene life--by repelling negative thoughts and attitudes (discontent, anxiety, discouragement, impurity, and self-seeking), cultivating positive attitudes (cheerfulness, magnanimity, charity, and the habit of holy silence), exercising graceful activities (economy in expenditure, diligence in appointed service, fidelity to every trust, and a childlike faith in God), practicing faithful daily habits (work, study, prayer, physical exercise, eating, and sleep), and depending on God for the strength and the will to do so.
This unique devotional book for personal or small group discipleship/spiritual formation utilizes this daily prayer to guide readers as they examine and meditate on a portion of the prayer each week and examine and employ spiritual disciplines. Ultimately, the intentional crafting of a simple, sincere, and serene life is a spiritual discipline, too. Morning Resolve will guide readers into the spiritual practices that bear good fruit for a grace-filled life.

Patrick Allen is known for writing with humor and spiritual sensitivity about how people grow in grace as they follow Jesus. He cares about how Christian faith can be shaped and formed by intentional spiritual practices and in-depth study--particularly when used for discipleship and spiritual growth in Bible studies, small groups, and personal devotions. He is author of seven books, the latest being Practicing the Prayer of St. Francis (Wipf & Stock, 2022).