Hallow, a Christian audio guided prayer and meditation app, launched this year’s Advent challenge with cast members from the hit series The Chosen joining the program.
Lead actor Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus in the series, is the guide for the Advent challenge. Director Dallas Jenkins introduces the 10-minute session followed by Roumie’s explanation of what to expect in the coming weeks. Other actors participating in the Advent challenge include George Harrison Xanthis (John the Evangelist), Elizabeth Tabish (Mary Magdalene), Paras Patel (Matthew), David Amito (John the Baptist), and Vanessa Benavente (Mary, the Mother of Jesus). They voice the daily meditations featuring passages from the Old and New Testaments, reports ChurchLeaders.com.
I am thrilled to partner this year with Hallow, Jonathan [Roumie], and several of our amazing actors from The Chosen for Hallow’s Advent #Pray25 challenge. —Dallas Jenkins, creator of ‘The Chosen’
“I am thrilled to partner this year with Hallow, Jonathan [Roumie], and several of our amazing actors from The Chosen for Hallow’s Advent #Pray25 challenge,” Jenkins, the show’s creator, said.
“This is a perfect time of year to be focused on prayer, for two reasons,” he added. “Number one, Season 3 of The Chosen is actually coming out this holiday season, so be sure to check that out. But number two, and by far a more important reason, this is the time of year that we focus on the birth of the man The Chosen is all about, Jesus Christ.”
Before delving into the day’s meditation, Roumie instructs listeners to get ready by taking deep breaths, calming their minds and preparing their hearts for God. Xanthis is the reader for the first week of the challenge. After reading John 1, he guides the reflection of the reading. Listeners are invited to pray based on the passage and a guided meditation follows. A prayer of praise concludes the daily meditation.
“The Chosen continues to transform lives and hearts by being the largest Christian streaming series in history, with over 400 million views worldwide. For the first time ever, you can pray alongside them as we bring your favorite cast members into Advent #Pray25!” according to the Hallow website.
The Hallow app was launched in 2018 by CEO and co-founder Alex Jones. The 29-year-old husband and father of two revealed that he was raised in Christianity, but fell away from the faith as a young adult before returning to it later. As he struggled with the daily stresses of work, he turned to meditation, mindfulness apps and yoga to cope.
In an interview with Fox, Jones explained, “Every time I would meditate, my mind would feel pulled toward something Christian,” he said. “An image of the cross, or the Trinity, or the Holy Spirit, which I thought was very strange.”
The smartphone application now boasts of around 3.75 million downloads and is being used in over 150 countries. From starting as a prayer app, Hallow grew into a Christian community, bringing its users challenges, prayer groups and meditations. The app launched content in Spanish and Portuguese and was able to work with stars like Jim Caviezel and Mark Wahlberg.
For those interested in joining the Advent challenge, you can download the Hallow app on your mobile phones or sign up at this link.
