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 Professor of Higher Education and Leadership at George Fox University. He holds the Ph.D. for the University of Oklahoma. Known for his humor, quick wit, and storytelling, he speaks in churches, chapels, retreats, and banquet occasions across the country. In addition to Morning Resolve, he coauthored Faith and Learning: A Guide for Faculty (2014), and Voices from the Past: Wisdom for Christian Higher Education (to be released Fall 2016), both with Abilene Christian University Press. Patrick and his wife, Lori, reside in Newberg, Oregon.