Mark Wahlberg shares Ash Wednesday message, reveals daily routine that starts with prayer

A growing number of Christians are praying alongside one another on Ash Wednesday through the Catholic meditation app Hallow.

The 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.

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Mark Wahlberg and his wife, Rhea Durham, have been married for 14 years. Getty Images

He told Earhardt he “absolutely” falls to his knees first thing in the morning to prioritize his faith before embarking on his day.

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“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.

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“I think it sets everything up. It sets up your mind… It sets your spirit up for… the challenges, perhaps for the day and as well as the successes,” Roumie said. “And I think as Mark saying… starting the day with gratitude and knowing that… we’ve been given so much in this life, to be grateful for to God.”

Jonathan Roumie and Mark Wahlberg will star in Hallow’s upcoming Super Bowl ad. Hallow

Hallow endured the largest surge of downloads to date after its first-ever Super Bowl commercial aired over the weekend.

“It was a phenomenal night,” Hallow CEO Alex Jones told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. He also called it a “dream come true.”

“I think where Hallow is filling a need and to be able to… see the expression of that in a commercial during the Super Bowl and know that so many people want to get connected to God, want to have a deeper relationship. They want to improve their prayer life, and the fact that how it can actually help them achieve that in ways that are so meaningful, it’s just music to my ears,” Roumie said.

Earhardt concluded the interview by reading a prayer from the Hallow app. She shared that each Sunday during Lent, weekend host Pete Hegseth will lead a prayer from the app on “Fox & Friends.”

Fox News’ Christine Rousselle contributed to this report.

Original article source: Mark Wahlberg shares Ash Wednesday message, reveals daily routine that starts with prayer