For Today

For Today: A Prayer When Life Gets Messy will introduce you to a profound daily prayer and various strategies and outlooks for getting through tough days--and on to higher ground. This is not a book to make someone an instant saint; it is for times when the ox is in the ditch or the seed corn is gone--a prayer when you are just trying to make it through the day and get back home before dark. With God's help, you will learn to be faithful in these hard times, and look forward to better days ahead. This unique book, combining rich personal stories and helpful spiritual reflections, can be used for personal devotionals or in small group discipleship/spiritual formation activities to unpack this powerful prayer line by line. In doing so, you will be challenged to deal with your difficulties gracefully and faithfully, just as God deals with all of us in tough and difficult times, bringing healing and hope to the mess we are in. Ultimately, the prayer brings us full circle--to be a cup of strength to other suffering souls who are in the midst of tough times, too. ""Reading For Today, I felt like I was in a cozy Oregon coffee shop having a long conversation with Patrick. He shared with me about an important prayer from the nineteenth century. Patrick told me intimate personal stories, our eyes often welling with tears. He reminded me of Scriptures foundational to our faith. A friend, he gently suggested ways that I might make this prayer my own. I have . . . and I will."" --James Kinzler, Coast Community Church of the Nazarene, Santa Barbara, California ""Patrick Allen's work in For Today reads like a spiritual life classic, the kind you keep by the bedside for the mornings when the day seems impossible to face. He writes with true charm and courage. Each chapter feels like another handhold for the upward climb. For Today is an invitation to a prayer life you must hold onto for dear life."" --Shawna Songer Gaines, University Chaplain, Trevecca Nazarene University In his speaking and writing, Patrick Allen is known for his humor, quick wit, and storytelling. He holds a PhD from the University of Oklahoma and is retired from George Fox University. He is the author of Morning Resolve: To Live a Simple, Sincere, and Serene Life, published by Cascade Books (2015), and co-author of two academic books with Ken Badley. Patrick and his wife, Lori, reside in Newberg, Oregon.