With everything you have to do, have you taken the time to decide who you want to be?
From best-selling author Priscilla Shirer, in partnership with the creators of The Love Dare, comes a resolution that challenges you to realign your daily decision in a way that glorifies God and fulfills who He created you to be. Layered with biblical truth and seasoned with encouragement, The Resolution for Women will inspire the woman you see in the mirror to trust God's perfect plan for her life, resolving to become "purposely feminine, surprisingly satisfied, and faithfully His."
Priscilla Shirer is a wife and a mom first. But put a Bible in her hand and a message in her heart and you’ll see why thousands flock to her conferences and dive into her Bible study series’ and books each year.
A graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, Priscilla holds a Master’s degree in Biblical Studies and considers it a privilege to serve believers from every denomination and culture by helping them to know the truths of Scripture intellectually and encouraging them to experience these truths practically by the power of the Holy Spirit.
In addition to Priscilla’s participation in many church and para-church conferences across the globe each year, Going Beyond Ministries hosts AWAKEN – an outreach event in their hometown designed to encourage and mobilize women locally. This free gathering brings together thousands of women from different denominations and backgrounds several times a year in an effort to stir revival.
Going Beyond Ministries also equips believers through books and Bible study resources. Priscilla has authored over a dozen video driven studies for women and teens on a myriad of Biblical characters and topics including Jonah, Gideon, the Exodus, discerning God’s voice, The Armor of God.
Her books include Discerning the Voice of God, God is Able, and two New York Times Bestsellers – The Resolution for Women and Fervent: A Woman’s Battle Plan for Serious, Specific and Strategic Prayer, which was named the 2016 Christian Book of the Year. Her latest offering is a 365-day devotional called Awaken: 90 Days with the God Who Speaks. In 2016, Priscilla ventured into the world of children’s publishing with The Prince Warriors, a fiction 4-book series and accompanying 365-day devotional (Unseen) designed to equip tween boys and girls for victory in spiritual warfare.
Priscilla has been married to Jerry for 20 years. Between studying and writing, she spends most of her time cleaning up after (and trying to satisfy the appetites of) their three growing boys – Jackson, Jerry Jr. and Jude.
I read this for a Bible study through my class at church. At first I was extremely skeptical as I anticipated the author would present antiquated notions as to how women are to behave and be 'lesser' than the men in their lives...all backed by scripture. I am happy to say I was proven wrong.
The Resolution for Women focuses on how women are to be present, committed, and focused in their lives today. How we are responsible for the welfare of our families and community not only because we are women but also because we are Christians. (Shirer speaks only to women in this book - there is a companion book for men - so when I say 'we' are responsible for our families...please understand men are as well, it's just not covered here.) This book challenges me to be a better wife, mother, and woman who walks with intention and raises my awareness of how each decision I make creates a ripple effect.
The Resolution for Women is challenging, thought provoking, and not always comfortable but I believe what I learned, combined with prayer and hard work, will continue to change my life - and the lives of those I love.
Like The Resolution for Men, I'm declaring this book an absolute must read for women and young women.
Today's culture has completely muddied the definitions of husband and wife, father and mother, which are completely contrary to the definitions the Bible lays out. As Christian moms and wives, we need to have these boundaries between the culture's definition and God's definition clearly set apart from one another--and choose to follow and implement and live out God's.
When we start making up our own rules, we open up a whole can of worms that can spell disaster for our children and our families.
Every woman, and every young woman who has visions of a glorious wedding and a healthy, happy household in her mind, needs to read this book to have God's desires for wifehood and motherhood clearly in our minds.
"God...has brought this book into your life for this particular season. He is calling you to make the hard yet necessary decision to face these chapters and the themes they present with a strong dose of courage, a prodigious amount of willingness to look inward, not outward, and a steady confidence in His Spirit to empower you to follow through on these resolves, regardless of how little your spouse or others may seem compelled to follow your example." (page 4)
I found the author's voice engaging and her stories and anecdotes poignant and vivid. Her focus being on the building up and encouraging of readers to view themselves and their roles as mothers and wives in a different light--in God's light--and strives to help us "stand as a living, walking, eating, breathing example of what God's grace can do with a woman He has set apart...."
I would have liked to have seen more Scriptural parallels and analogies to drive home the message of the Bible on these particular areas. The teaching is definitely there, but it would have been good to have more Scriptural back-up. I know she was trying to keep the lessons short, which was good, but I felt it would have helped tremendously with her overall message, if she took a passage (eg: 1 Peter 2:9-10 on page 53) and explored it in relation to the message of the chapter.
It's a completely eye-opening experience to look at value, self-worth, motherhood, wifehood...all the roles that God has called us to from His perspective rather than the one society claims is right.
Concepts like submission turn into issues of love and respect, rather than abuse and domination. There is no room for abuse and domination in God's version of family and marriage, and yet many in our culture, including many Christians still hold to this definition. God's message isn't based on domination and subjugation, but on love and grace. Many Christian denominations and world religions have taught for centuries that women are second-rate citizens not worthy of anything and use Scripture to back that up--when in fact Christ sets a completely different standard.
I believe both husbands and wives should read both books (The Resolution for Men and the Resolution for Women) so that they can be firmly grounded in God's purpose for that role in their lives, and so that they can keep each other accountable. The future of our marriage and our families depend on husbands and wives who are devoted to God and to each other, and to their God-given roles and purpose.
A basic self-help book disguised as a Christian living book. Some interesting stories and visuals with occasional scripture verses provided to back up Shirer’s points. An easy read - it had to be since I read the Spanish version with little need for me to consult vocabulary or grammar resources (so like an upper elementary school reading level?). And probably a quick read too if read consistently - I took a meandering 5+ years to finish it.
I wanted to like this book. I really did. My then-fiance and I purchased the his and hers versions of these books as part of our premarital preparation. And while his book focused on things like integrity or strength of character, mine focused on stuff like interior design. No joke, at one point, the author talks about the process of decorating her "writing loft" (aside: TOTALLY relatable to the common public, right?) and she goes on and on about a tassel -- A TASSEL -- for several paragraphs, if not pages. I'm not making this up.
About two-thirds of the way through this book, I got so fed up, angry, and frustrated with this unrelatable and useless drivel that I literally threw the book across the room.
I was expecting this book to be a bit superficial because it was commissioned by a movie. I also had low expectations for the depth of the writing since it is covering so many different topics. I was wrong on both counts. This is excellent insightful material, great for a small group study (our community group women are reading this together for our summer book group). I've never read anything by Priscilla Shirer before, and her writing is fresh and thought-provoking. There is a lot of wisdom here and something for everyone, and it's a nice compliment to the theme of the movie- stepping up and fulfilling God-given roles.
This book was such a huge amazing help. My husband has been reading the men's version so I challenged myself. I was happy to see I was doing good in a few and I was glad I read it with an open mind and heart. God helped me learn so many things and I felt wiser upon completion and I am looking forward to reading it again and to continue to grow and be the best wife, mother, daughter, and follower of Christ I can be. I am definitely going to look up some of the other works by this author!
The Resolution for Women is a soul-stirring, enlightening read. I am happy to have read this book at the beginning of the year. I resolve to take the resolutions included in this book and apply it to my life. Whether it's writing, working, or spending time with my family I want to be a woman of God who is content, gracious, and authentic in who I am destined to be.
A truly impactful book filled with a lifetime of wisdom. Truly an all time favorite of mine. Stay buckled up through a journey a resolutions to be a women for the Lord.
After much tossing back and forth from 4 to 5 stars, I feel I have to give this book 5 stars. A few months ago, I happened to pick this book up as a promotional item. It looked interesting and the reference to "Courageous" drew me in. I had no idea what to expect, but the writing suited my current lifestyle. After just finishing up the book, I am amazed and excited at how this book has caused me to re-evaluate the way I think about some things in my life. So much to the point that I think it will result in life changes. For me, this is significant. Shirer presented the material in a personal way so that every reader could relate. My only critique is that I wish she would have stuck with the KJV. The other versions just do not have the same influence. I did not agree with every sentence in the book, but the majority I thought was fantastic. Worth the read!
I enjoyed this book. I wasn't necessarily into the whore signing resolutions thing, but it teaches a lot about life and a relationship with God. It helps you see differences between you and your spouse and helps see what changes to make when raising a child.
3.5: I've wanted to read something by this author for a while. She spoke truth bluntly, not allowing for a lot of excuses, which felt like a little too much at times, but with some time to process, I'm coming to see how valuable that is for me.
I enjoy this book. It takes me a few chapters to adjust to the style of writing but after that I benefit from the truths she points out. It's my second read through and I'll probably read it again in the future.
Wow, wow, wow. I absolutely love this book and think it's one I'll go back to time and time again. It's classy, it's timeless, and it's full of truth. Priscilla writes with such conviction and grace. It's bold, it's informative and it's very insightful. I love the list of resolutions and am considering getting it printed so I can constantly be reminded of it. The Holy Spirit really spoke to me and brought me to tears by the end of the book. The last few chapters really hit home for me and motivated me to examine my life and the impact I want my actions to have. This book has allowed me to look at things in a new light and further understand the application of scripture and what was trying to be conveyed through biblical passages. I also think this book would be very helpful for engaged women and expecting/new mothers as it offered very good and biblical advice to show you your responsibilities as a woman of God stepping into those roles... I highly recommend this book 1000%.
This book was written to accompany the movie Courageous. There were a lot of good things in this book. However, I feel like the author probably tried to cover too much in one book. A lot of the points felt very vague. Also, she clearly didn't have much to say on some points, and it felt like she was just covering them because they had to be in this particular book. I usually really like Priscilla Shirer's books because they seem to go deep and the topics are well studied and presented. But this book seems to be something she just put together because the Kendrick brothers asked her, too. It's not the same quality as her other books.
I read this book as part of a bible study through my church. Shirer combined personal stories with biblical principles and scriptures that make it clear the bible is relevant for all of us today. Each resolution is broken into subchapters, with questions following each, for the reader to discover how that specific resolution has or can be lived out. GREAT discussion topics for a study group or book club. I intend to go back thru each resolution in my own to dig into each a bit deeper.
Estoy agradecida con Dios por la oportunidad de leer este libro, que me llevo a reflexionar sobre cosas que aun no hago y a reafirmar que mi llamado como esposa, se está cumpliendo, ampliamente recomendado
I really enjoyed this Book. Group Bible study is a must with this book! Reading it alone and sharing with the group was healing and helpful for rlationships.
I love Priscilla Shirer and have done most of her Bible studies with ladies in my church. I don’t believe I have ever read one of her book-books though so I was excited to get in to this one. I love the idea of living with intention that this book describes. I appreciate that she reminds the reader right away this isn’t about changing anyone else, it’s not about anyone else’s inaction or action, only my own decisions. This book is a solid introduction/reintroduction to a wide range of issues requiring our attention if we are to be whole women of God. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to any woman trying to align her life to Christ. ___
- I appreciated her thoughts on contentment on page 30-31… it is the “equilibrium between the enjoyment of life now and the anticipation of what is to come. Contentment serves as a guard against desires gone wild.”… “by choosing contentment, you’re not getting rid of your desires, you‘re just demanding that they assume an appropriate, humble position in your life, not bossing you around like a tyrannical dictator, forcing you to submit to his ever-growing, and ever-changing list of demands. It means you no longer allow your yearnings and aspirations to control you, to rob you from the full use of and gratitude for what you’ve currently been given leaving you unable to enjoy this, because He hasn’t seen fit to give you that.”
- Her thoughts on how we can choose to yield were thought provoking… strength within boundaries. - I loved her idea of an “affirmation culture” among woman. - “…the holy tension of asking God questions without questioning God.” (Pg 77) - “Faithfulness is born when the outward expression of your beliefs are lived out over time.” (77) - Her thoughts on both being a listener and being a not-good listener are vital. (113-114) I love that this is a gift we can give people. Silence can really be strength. - The chapter on forgiveness provided some needed reminders to me about a past situation I am still wrestling with. - I will not tolerate evil influences even in the most justifiable forms in myself or in my home. - The chapter on honouring your husband was so good… “You are committing to be for him even when you’d rather be against him.” I feel like this section alone would be worth reading this book for! - Are we loving our kids or “in love” with them? - Her final thoughts on legacy are how I want to keep on remembering in my own life, that it’s not just about my life but all those I touch.
My thanks to Net Galley and Herald Press for the opportunity to read this copy of The Resolution for Women by Priscilla Shirer. I highly recommend it!
“A woman’s strength is best seen not in the demonstration of her power but in the yielding of herself to God.”
“I will champion God’s model for womanhood in the face of a culture that seeks to undermine it. I will teach it to my daughters and encourage its support by my sons.”
“Never except that you can recalibrate the frequency settings on your life without lots and lots of God’s help, grace, and shepherding.”
“She’s not a perfect parent; she’s just a woman who believes that per parenting is kingdom business.” ———> I needed to read these words.
Wow. From page one I was convicted (in a good way) to stretch more. Both physically and mentally HA! Like Priscilla I notice that I am rushing. Rushing through life because it’s hard. Rushing because I need a “break” from my kids who just want me to love and play with them. Rushing to get to the next thing not relishing in the now. Not taking the time to realize this is perfection. That I am content in the mundane and the little moments of joy each day. If I rush through it how am I going to look and see that today was wonderful. I watch my son pull himself up all by himself! I watched my oldest read his first book without me helping him. I saw my middle child’s eyes light up when he saw a bird in our front yard eating the seed he spread out for them. What am I rushing to when this. This right here is perfect.
I also got so many good moments here that let me reflect on what I do have. Fining the chapter on The Gift I realized I am so blessed to have someone who does sit and listen with their whole heart and being to me when I need it. Someone who stands firm in listening to me and making it about me not about themselves. And who give me practical, honest, and loving advice that I may not want to hear at the time but needed to grow or shift my perspective.
Priscilla. Thank you. Thank you for this book. From the bottom of my heart I will cherish it. Come back to it when I falter and remember the conviction you gave me to be better. God gave you a gift and I cannot tell you enough how much this book meant to me.
I read The Resolution for Women following my study of much of the God-inspired literature specifically available to men. This area of works expresses what it means to be a man of God and so in reading The Resolution for Women, I was intrigued by the teachings that women of God relish.
Are the lessons any different about being a Christ-centred individual? And how so?
The first thing I will note is that I was greatly inspired by the similarities and differences found in a woman’s walk with God.
The book was very obviously a testimony of the author’s own life with God and thankfully, the examples cited matched the Biblical expression of an individual undergoing the renewal process of Godliness.
Examples were provided of the struggles and transformation that women are drawn to experience in their surrender to God.
It was especially interesting to learn about the controversial, Biblical ‘submission for women’ and what means in its application to life.
In a world where there is a clear, bold, unashamed, and forceful agenda to create gender fluidity, the looming question I had was how God-centred principles—often perceived as old-fashioned, sexist, and prejudice—hold up for women of God.
Suffice to say, in reading this book, it was enjoyable to behold and celebrate the wonderful abilities that women possess, where men are weaker due to the inherent design of God.
Humility, justice, mercy, gentleness, active relational selflessness, and pursuing the will of God daily were strong themes throughout.
Essentially, the book was a resolution to be transformed by God, that honoured the intrinsic design of a woman; a perspective that’s become increasingly marginalised by western society.
Overall this is an encouraging piece designed to persuade the reader to live a more intentional, God-centered life. Perhaps the most meaningful lines were when she encouraged those who choose to be stay-at-home moms who have ever wondered if they could have been a powerful, successful business person: she suggests those skills and God-given talents are perfect for raising headstrong children to faithfully follow the Lord. (I have often felt unfulfilled and wondered what else I could have done/could be doing with my life, but this seemed like an answer to that question of my heart.)
I also read the men's version - theirs didn't have nearly as many scripture references, which I found disappointing, but I almost liked the men's version better despite that oversight. (I'm thinking it was just a stylistic preference of mine.)
I was actually hoping for more insight in the marriage chapters; she mostly focuses on being more demure as a way to reflect Christ, and how bringing peace into the home as the wife's responsibility (which women might be more capable of, but I don't think it should be solely their job). I'm also still not sure what the author means by being "Biblically feminine" despite the chapter dedicated to explaining the concept.
But I did find the chapters on forgiveness and personal satisfaction insightful. I'm always interested to see how other Christians view forgiveness and how they suggest we mere mortals go about it. The satisfaction chapter aligned with what I understand about the virtue of gratitude in our lives and its ability to quench the appetite for worldly goods & aspirations.
It was also easy to read in chunks, put down to ponder, then pick up later (which she deliberately tried to do). So, not a bad read, but not mind-blowing either. Might read again.
I’m just about finished with The Resolution for Women, only one more chapter to go! I read this book along with a group of ladies and discussed takeaways with them weekly.
I am SO glad I was able to read this book. Each chapter really challenged parts of my character. I had to really pray over those resolutions because I know I could not do them all in my own strength. & there are some chapters I've flagged so I can revisit them (I'm looking at you purposefully feminine lol).
But one thing that hit me towards the end of the book was how important it is for me to walk in these resolutions & character traits NOW and how they will ultimately help prepare me for my future. For example, with the one about fulfilling my husband and always esteeming him even when I may not feel like it, being his safe space & watching my words. Like if I don't learn how to walk in godly forgiveness with my current family now & learn how to esteem them even when they aren't necessarily deserving, how will that one day affect my marriage and my children? So I felt like many of the themes built upon one another and it was a read that convicted me in many ways.
I’m full transparency, if you are being honest and thorough while reading this book (not just breezing or speed reading through to check it off your list) it WILL challenge you. There were days when I didn’t want to pick it up. Because it was a convicting, challenging read that exposed some of the crevices of my heart. I plan to revisit this book a lot as I grow and commit to living out these resolutions.
I enjoy Christian books that have reflection questions after each chapter because it helps me to process what I've read and make it applicable to my life. That in itself makes the material more memorable and helps my spiritual growth and understanding of the scriptures. The chapters in this book are not very long which is a plus for busy women who want to digest spiritual truths in smaller chunks of time. Priscilla Schirer reaches out to every woman in every stage of life so this is not for Mom's only or Wives only, but she is great at directing the lessons to wherever you may be in life. This is a book that I read with a pen and highlighter because there are lots of points that I want to look back on. I have many favorite spots in this book but one of them is when she says "Jesus didn't just preach a gospel; He lived one." in the chapter 'How Do You Heal an Unbroken Heart'. For those of us who strive to live a Christ-like life, this chapter reminded me how Jesus paid attention to his surroundings. He was aware of people who were hurting and he moved with compassion and helped them in a tangible way, always. What amazed me most is that word Compassion -- it's a deep, gut-wrenching reaction and it affected him physically and moved him to help, serve and do his Father's will. Great book!!!
This book earns 4.4 out of five stars from me. As part of my new year goals, I decided to read a chapter (or segment) of inspirational or motivational nonfiction before bed at least five out of seven nights. This represents the first inspirational book chosen for that purpose this year. I love the tiny segments each part of the resolution is divided into. It makes for a perfect reading and reflection length in the evenings. I scrawled several pages worth of notes and introspection during this quiet time. The writing is filled with great illustrations and plenty of scripture references. Why not a higher rating? While the book started out strong, I felt the final few chapters didn't have the same emotional impact. Not because the topics were unimportant or irrelevant either. I'm not sure what went wrong for me, but ending on a lower note than the book started with affected my rating. I still recommend this for anyone who feels like they need guidance for their spiritual journey. It's not really a Bible study, but it has the potential to spark interest in different study topics.
Honestly, I didn't have high hopes for this book. But here are my thoughts...
- The Bible isn't about gender studies, sexuality, etc. - The Bible is written in a patriarchal structure. It doesn't mean it is the 'desired/designed' way of being. - The 'definition of womanhood presented in God's word is written through this patriarchal lens. - There is no acknowledgement of the original text. - So it's selfish to be a feminist? I'm not sure she knows what feminism is... - So to be fulfilled, I need to be with a man, be fruitful and multiply? I must dress a certain way and can't say anything to offend men. God forbid I have a mind of my own. - Men are the established leaders, and women art designed to be leaders?
"Women have usurped the authority of men." I find this absolutely BS!
Feminism believes in full social, economic, and political equality for women. How is this not also a biblical attitude? While there was some excellent advice, I found the author's views really antiquated. For her, there is only one way to be a woman.
After ten years of solid success with the original book, The Resolution for Women has been revised and updated. What I find most interesting is in the beginning Priscilla even says she thought she would find that she had to update the quite a bit of her introduction, only to read it and realize it was solid advice then, as well as now. She gives a clear and concise set of resolutions that we as Christian women should work towards as well as her personal stories as how successful, or even honestly unsuccessful, she has been in her own pursuit of these goals. What's even more important is that these are for self reflection, whether or not those around us are following the same path of meeting the resolutions, but our own personal walk with Christ and how that helps to shape every encounter we have. I have not read the original edition, so I cannot compare the additions to this edition, but I think it is a stellar resource for any woman wanting to live intentionally. *I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*