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Published March 5, 2025 6:00am EST

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Father Mike Schmitz joins ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ to discuss the rising number of Americans identifying as Christian and gives advice ahead of the Lenten season.

Christians are increasingly using technology to grow closer to God, including during the Lenten season, in addition to traditional methods of prayer.

Lent, which begins annually on Ash Wednesday, is a time of prayer and sacrifice that encourages Christians to grow closer to God while preparing for Easter. The season is remembered by millions all over the world, who often strive to grow in their relationship with God by doing acts of service,  for those in need.

One way many Christians choose to grow closer to God during Lent is by using technology and prayer apps like Hallow to encourage them in prayer while on-the-go.

Hallow CEO Alex Jones told  that the company’s goal is to help Christians build a "daily habit of prayer" that works best for them wherever they are in their lives. He noted the app recently crossed into about 22 million downloads.





People get the sign of the cross placed on their forehead by a priest at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Ash Wednesday on Feb. 14, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

"For us, it's just about how can we take five, 10 minutes in the morning or at night and just start and close our day away from the noise, finding some peace and spending some time with Jesus?" Jones said.

This year, Hallow is bringing back its Pray40 challenge that encourages users to set aside time each day to spend with God by offering scripture reflection, opportunities to hear encouraging stories, guided prayer, music and meditation.

The app features prominent figures like Gwen Stefani, Fr. Mike Schmitz, Jonathan Roumie and Mark Wahlberg.

Jones explained that while sometimes technology can be used as a distraction, it can also be used for good to bring people closer to God, and the prayer app can be used to help Christians stick to a habit of prayer.

"This question of how do you share about Jesus with people in today's world — but that question, really, it comes down to reaching out to people where they are, and whether we like it or not, where people are today is in their phones. So, how do we reach out to them? We have to try to get them to stop scrolling in some feed for half a second, and we have to use that as an opportunity to try to invite them to take five, 10 minutes in silence and to grow deeper in relationship with the Lord."

Rev. James T. Bretzke, S.J., a professor of theology at John Carroll University, told Fox News Digital that historically, Lent grew from a "preparation period" that adult converts would observe before being received into the Church on Holy Saturday.

"As time went on, this practice of spiritual renovation came to be recommended for all the baptized members of the Church," he explained.

"What are you giving up for Lent?" is a question most of us of a certain generation asked and answered every year," Bretzke said. "The answers might range from ‘chocolate,' to ‘alcohol’ with lots of other possibilities in between. Some others would take the opposite tack and name something they would plan on doing during Lent — like going to Mass an extra day or two, offering some special prayers, doing some work of charity and the like… Nowadays there has been a greater stress on ‘positive’ works of charity to counter what Pope Francis has often called the ‘globalization of indifference.’ Pope Francis has also suggested we ‘give up’ a number of uncharitable habits that hurt ourselves and others and put more faith and hope in God."





Pope Francis gestures as he speaks at the Grha Pemuda Youth Centre in Jakarta on Sept. 4, 2024. (Tatan Syuflana/Pool/AFP/Getty)

No matter what method of  choose to follow during Lent, Pope Francis encouraged everyone to "journey together in hope" this Lenten season and to "trust in God and his great promise of eternal life."

"Sisters and brothers, thanks to God’s love in Jesus Christ, we are sustained in the hope that does not disappoint (cf.Rom 5:5)," Pope Francis wrote in his . "Hope is the 'sure and steadfast anchor of the soul.' It moves the Church to pray for ‘everyone to be saved’ (1 Tim2:4) and to look forward to her being united with Christ, her bridegroom, in the glory of heaven."

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