Los Angeles-based actor Jonathan Roumie recently discussed his prayer life, Christian faith and his hope that others may find serenity and peace during this Advent season because, according to Roumie, “any opportunity to connect to Jesus is a welcome one.”
Perhaps best known for his role as Jesus in “The Chosen,” Roumie has paired up with Hallow, the number one prayer app in the world, for a unique Advent prayer challenge for this holy season of preparation for Christmas. The 25-day prayer challenge recently started, and as part of the effort, both Roumie and actor Liam Neeson guided people through various prayers, meditations, Bible readings and more. However, this is no mere gig for Roumie.
Roumie is a committed Christian and Catholic with his personal story of growing closer to God and continuing to do so each day. He said people can “disconnect from the chaos of the real world, the divisiveness, the anxiety” that exists by connecting with Jesus through prayer. He said they can find “peace and a deeper relationship with Christ, and I think that’s really the goal of the prayer challenge, adding that building a prayer habit is “easier than people think.”
He added, “As you consistently tap into that habit, you find your relationship with Jesus growing deeper and deeper, just automatically. And as a result, you then experience much more peace, tranquility and serenity in your life and the ability to really muscle through some of the most difficult obstacles and challenges that life can throw at you.”
Roumie added that in today’s modern society, it’s easy to get distracted. However, he said, “But in this case, I have such a deep gratitude to the technology that’s arrived in the form of this app, of the Hallow app. I can literally go to my phone, and if I find myself or my mind wandering or my anxiety building, all I have to do is literally click on the app and just start praying or meditating on one of the challenges or one of the prayers.”
He continued, “There are thousands of prayers on this app. And I’m instantly transported into a sacred space, no matter where I am. No matter what, if you live in a major city or if you live in a place that’s just really busy, you can pop on your headphones and connect to the app. You start praying with a meditation, and you’re instantly just transported. This is something that I’ve been so grateful for — and especially as we go into the hubbub and the busyness of the Christmas season, it’s something that I’m relying on daily to be able to just cut through all that noise.”