A growing number of Christians are praying alongside one another on Ash Wednesday through the Catholic meditation app Hallow. The Hallow platform, which saw the largest surge of users after airing its Super Bowl ad, has quickly become a favorite go-to for Christians looking to become closer to God through prayer.
Actors Mark Wahlberg and Jonathan Roumie, who lead the worldwide prayer meditations, discussed their reaction to the surge in followers during “Fox & Friends” and why they believe starting the day with prayer is essential every morning.
“People are always asking, what are you giving up? I’ve given many things up for Lent, whether it be… alcohol or something… sweet, but for me, it’s really about trying to do more… trying to be better, trying to grow as a person, as a servant. God, a father, a husband… as an example… and using all that real-life experience that I have,” Wahlberg told Ainsley Earhardt on Wednesday.
He told Earhardt he “absolutely” falls to his knees first thing in the morning to prioritize his faith before embarking on his day. “People always ask ‘why can’t you have a normal schedule?’ My thing is, if I’m at home, I do all the things that I need to do that are personal time, before the kids and my wife get up.
I always get eight hours of sleep. It’s not like I’m burning the candle at both ends, per se. I’m getting the rest that I need. In a perfect world, I’ll go to bed at 7-7:30, wake up at 3-3:30 and then do my things, get those out of the way before I start my day with my family or work. … I have a lot to be grateful for,” Wahlberg said.
“I think it gives me a bit of credibility with people who have been struggling and who have faced adversity,” he continued. “We just want to be able to do more, and I think, what better than to have Ash Wednesday fall on Valentine’s Day? Because where do you get more love than with the Lord and… in a time where there’s such a disconnect? We need things to bring people together and the power of prayer is doing that.”
Roumie, who played Jesus in “The Chosen,” echoed Wahlberg’s sentiment, emphasizing the need to start the day with “gratitude” in order to set the mind up for whatever is in store, all while strengthening the relationship with God.