Actor Mark Wahlberg and Christian celebrity Jonathan Roumie appeared together on Ash Wednesday to have a powerful conversation about faith, prayer and honoring God. And what a blessing to see the Lord glorified this way on National TV!
Mark Wahlberg is instantly recognizable thanks to his longstanding career as an actor. However, this A-lister is also well known for his faith — something he’s shared openly for many years.
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Jonathan Roumie has also made quite a name for himself in the entertainment industry. This Christian actor plays the role of Jesus in the popular show The Chosen and also appeared in the hit faith-based film, Jesus Revolution.
For both Jonathan Roumie and Mark Wahlberg, their Christian faith is a cornerstone of their lives. And the two appeared together on Ash Wednesday to talk about their beliefs, as well as their involvement in the prayer app, Hallow.
Ash Wednesday Message
As Mark Wahlberg and Jonathan Roumie made several TV appearances on Ash Wednesday, the two bore the ash crosses traditionally received at Ash Wednesday services. Ash Wednesday is a Christian holy day marking the start of Lent — the 40-day season of repentance and fasting before Easter (excluding Sundays).
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In 2024, Ash Wednesday just so happened to fall on February 14. And Mark Wahlberg shared his thoughts as a Christian on how this synergy made perfect sense.
“What(‘s) better than to have Ash Wednesday fall on Valentine’s Day?” he asked. “Because where do you get more love than with the Lord?”
Both he and Jonathan sat down with Ainsley Earhardt of Fox and Friends to discuss the prayer Hallow app. The two actors have been involved with the venture for some time but it gained widespread attention after a 2024 ad in the Super Bowl.
Jonathan Roumie and Mark Wahlberg Super Bowl Ad
The 2024 Super Bowl averaged 123.7 million viewers across television and streaming platforms making it the most-watched program in U.S. television history. In it, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in an overtime victory. However, one of the most powerful moments came during a commercial break as Mark Wahlberg prayed on National TV as Jonathan Roumie received the cross in ashes on his forehead.
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At the end of the Super Bowl ad, Mark Wahlberg invited viewers to join him during Lent on the Christian praying app, Hallow. And the response was incredible!
"It was the most downloads in a single minute we'd ever seen," the Hallow co-founder and CEO, Alex Jones, explained. "We're already ranking ahead of Netflix on the App Store charts and Lent hasn't even started yet. Glory to God."
Jonathan Roumie And Mark Wahlberg On Praying App
With Ash Wednesday occurring just a few days after the 2024 Super Bowl, Mark Wahlberg and Jonathan Roumie made numerous appearances to discuss the ad. But first, they attended church bright and early to get their ashes before their morning show interviews.
Ainsley Earhardt started out by asking Christian celebrities Jonathan Roumie and Mark Wahlberg about the success of the Super Bowl ad for the praying app. Mark went on to explain how he enjoys using the platform he has to drive people to have a relationship with God.
“We just want to continue to encourage people to grow closer to God,” he said.
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Jonathan was equally excited about the response to the Super Bowl ad for the praying app.
“To know that so many people want to get connected to God, want to have a deeper relationship, they want to improve their prayer life,” he said, “and the fact that Hallow can actually help them achieve that in ways that are so meaningful — it’s just music to my ears.”
This led to a deeper conversation around the importance of prayer.
Prioritizing Prayer
Christian celebrity Mark Wahlberg is known for having a particularly rigorous daily schedule. And the very first thing he does after waking up is hit his knees in prayer.
Jonathan Roumie agrees that starting the day with prayer is crucial.
“I think it sets everything up,” he said. “It sets up your mindset, it sets your spirit up for the challenges perhaps for the day and as well as the successes.”
Jonathan also emphasizes the importance of gratitude, “knowing that we’ve been given so much in this life to be grateful for to God and being able to express that through prayer.”
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Following their discussion about prayer, the Lent challenge, and the Hallow praying app, Jonathan Roumie recites a prayer. And it is such a powerful moment to see the Lord glorified on National TV!
WATCH: Jonathan Roumie and Mark Wahlberg Deliver Ash Wednesday Message
Mark Wahlberg then went on to appear on Good Morning America, where he further discussed the importance of his Christian faith and prayer in his life.
“It really just kind of keeps me centered, it keeps me focused,” he said of his daily prayers.
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Prayer also helps keep Mark in touch with how God wants to use him. And because of the transformation power prayer has had in his own life, Mark wants to help others have a similar experience.
“People are looking and searching for something and a deeper connection. People are struggling in lots of different ways,” he said. But Mark went on to explain that prayer gives him comfort and peace, as well as “the strength and courage to persevere through hard times.”
You can hear more of what Mark has to say about his faith in the video below.
WATCH: Mark Wahlberg On His Christian Faith
Hollywood has notoriously been a place that frowned upon Christianity. However, that is changing thanks to Christian celebrities like Jonathan Roumie and Mark Wahlberg who are willing to talk openly and boldly about their faith. They don’t shy away from giving all glory to Jesus. What an inspiration!
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“This is the word of the Lord: ‘Let not the wise man take pride in his wisdom, or the strong man in his strength, or the man of wealth in his wealth: But if any man has pride, let it be in this, that he has the wisdom to have knowledge of Me, that I am the Lord, working mercy, giving true decisions, and doing righteousness in the earth: for in these things I have delight,’ says the Lord.” Jeremiah 9:23-24
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