“You’ll be surprised by how you’ll be blessed when you prioritize prayer time.” Pat Gohn on Personal Prayer.
Tips for Personal Prayer
Pat completed her MA in Theology and Christian Ministry from Franciscan University of Steubenville (2008). She’s no stranger to writing or public speaking, as she got a BS in Communications from St. John’s University in New York (1982), and enjoyed several years in radio. Her favorite subject matter to teach and write about is the Catholic faith and its application to daily life.
She’s a speaker and offers retreats, primarily for women, yet not exclusively. Her podcast, Among Women, is a program for Catholic women that celebrates their faith and life. Find it at AmongWomenPodcast.com.
Pat Gohn
Her first book, for women, Blessed, Beautiful, and Bodacious, Celebrating the Gift of Catholic Womanhood, was published by Ave Maria Press. It introduces the feminine genius, focusing on the dignity, gifts, and mission of women. It won a Catholic Press Association Award in 2014.
Her second book, All In: Why Belonging to the Catholic Church Matters released in 2017 and it shares why she believe we can have confidence in what the Church teaches, and become more confident Catholics.
You’ll find her online and in print in Catholic Digest and Catechist magazines. She’s long contributed to online websites like the Catholic portal at Patheos, Catholic Mom, Catholic Lane, Catholic Exchange, Amazing Catechists, and elsewhere. Presently she’s the editor at Catechist magazine and Catechist.com. Pat’s married to Bob for 35+ years, and has raised three young adults.
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PAT GOHN’S TIPS FOR PERSONAL PRAYER
I first read of Pat Gohn through her article on Personal Prayer. It certainly opened my eyes and I thought why not include it in our month on family prayer. It was really wonderful talking to Pat because she covered some amazing things like:
-Making an appointment with God
-Keeping your Bible close
-Praying with a spouse
-Turning off social media while praying
-Praying with children and teenagers.
They’re all fantastic points. And it drive homes one point: Prioritize Prayer.
Praying with a Spouse
I’m not married yet, but I watched my parents pray together every evening for most of their 34 years of marriage. And I was so impressed with Pat’s prayer relationship with her husband. Her advice about inviting your spouse to pray is so important. I honestly pray I can someday have this with my future spouse. Since my new prayer focus for the next decade is going to be praying for the institution of marriages globally I hope this is one thing you can start with your partners.
Praying with Children
Pat talks about praying on the spot with your children. I can’t stress this enough. My own mother used to do this especially when we were facing something difficult. She’d sit us down at three o’clock everyday even though we were fidgety and raring to go. I’ll never forget those times of prayer. Today I stop at three for my own prayers purely out of habit. Pat explains how you can stay in touch with the heart of your children through personal prayer. She talks about praying on the spot for them. And reiterates how you model prayer in your children.
Giveaway
Pat is giving away three copies of her book All In. You can contact her via pat.gohn@comcast.net, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIN.
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