Prayer app Hallow hits #1 on Apple, encourages daily prayer

Hallow, a Catholic prayer and meditation app, became the first faith-based app to reach the number one spot on Apple store downloads in February, as millions worldwide responded to its “Pray40” Lenten prayer challenge.

Hallow received widespread attention when it aired a 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl, encouraging viewers to take time to give thanks to God. The spot featured Catholic actors Jonathan Roumie and Mark Wahlberg, who asked viewers to “stay prayed up.” 

The app has now reached more than 17 million downloads. 

“It was a huge bet for us,” said Alex Jones, Hallow CEO and co-founder, in a statement about the ad. “When we were producing the spot we decided really to just focus on making it all about Jesus – just on spending time in prayer with God. 

“It was amazing to see how the spot resonated with so many. It was an honor to get to pray together and we’re thrilled to continue to pray together with everyone this Lent.” 

Hallow features daily meditation prompts, along with options like prayers for kids, scripture reflections, and Bible reading. Wahlberg and Roumie, whose work includes the role of Jesus in the popular streaming show The Chosen, lead several of the prayers on Hallow. 

In an interview, Wahlberg and Roumie discussed their faith and practice of daily prayer. 

“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,” Wahlberg said in an interview. “Trying to be better, trying to grow as a person, as a servant, a father, a husband, as an example, and using all that real-life experience that I have.” 

“I think Hallow is filling a need,” said Roumie. “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 it can actually help them achieve that in ways that are so meaningful, it’s just music to my ears.” 

Hallow, founded by Jones and two others in 2018, has less than 100 employees and is based in Chicago. Jones says they’ve been “blown away” by the app’s success. 

“When we started Hallow, it would’ve been crazy for us to imagine a thousand people praying together on it, much less 1 million,” said Jones. “God is doing incredible things. All glory and credit and praise belongs to Him.”