Morning Resolve [Hardcover]

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. Morning Resolve provides a rich resource for a way of life that is so confirming. Patrick Allen offers a process and companionship for this quest toward spiritual development that reflects his winsome, creative, and affirming perspective. Personal stories from his interesting life make Morning Resolve very inviting. These disciplines will lead the reader to richer and fuller daily living, whether one is a new or an experienced follower of Jesus. --James L. Edwards, President Emeritus, Anderson University This book is the product of a prayer that Patrick Allen has prayed every day for ten years! It is not a collection of theories and propositions. It is a treasure trove of practical truths that speak to the deepest needs of the human condition. The author invites us to experience a spiril“‘