Pray.com Launches Exclusive 'Passion Week’ Podcast Designed to Prepare Hearts for Easter
Prominent Pastors Partner to Expand on the Details of the Week Leading Up to Christ’s Death and Resurrection
LOS ANGELES, March 29, 2023 – Pray.com, the No. 1 app for prayer and faith-based audio and video streaming content, announced today the release of “Passion Week,” a dynamic, eight-episode focused on the events of easter. Exploring in-depth Christ’s heroic path from the streets of Jerusalem to the grave, “Passion Week” follows His passionate journey to redeem, restore and renew.
Listeners can expect to:
Develop a deeper understanding of the significance of each day of Holy Week
Experience what it’s like to walk with Jesus during the last week of His life
Love the Lord and know of His love even more through this journey
“This powerful, new audio series truly encapsulates the heart of our mission,” said Max Bard, VP of Content at Pray.com. “Each engaging episode shares intimate details of Holy Week, from the dark halls of the temple, where whispers of conspiracy condemn God Himself to death, to the brutal march up the hill of Calvary, where salvation was fought for us on the cross. Finally, we behold light bursting forth from a dark, cold grave on Easter Sunday. From Sunday to Sunday, this is the destination for Easter encouragement and a deeper understanding of what Jesus did for us.”
The new series is exclusively available on the Pray.com platform.
Highly sought-after voice actors Sylvia Zaradic and Todd Haberkorn share their talents, joined by Pray.com partners in ministry, who will each narrate an episode:
Jim Graff, Faith Family Church
Beth Jones, The Basics with Beth
Kristiann Wargo, Create Your Now
And many others
For more information or to access the “Passion Week” eight-episode audio-cast, visit www.pray.com/series/passion-week, where content is scheduled to go live April 1.
About Pray.com
Founded in 2016 with a mission to grow faith and cultivate community, Pray.com is the world’s No. 1 app for daily prayer and Bible based audio content. Reaching more than 10 million people world-wide through its mobile app and website, it is the easiest way to incorporate prayer into your daily life. Pray.com provides encouragement and inspiration through daily devotionals, Pastor podcasts, and Bedtime Bible Stories. Pray.com founders are Steve Gatena, Mike Lynn, Ryan Beck and Matthew Potter. See https://alarryross.com/pray-com for more information.
Pray.com Ranks No. 4 on Inc. Magazine’s List of the Pacific Region’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies
As the highest-ranking media company, Pray.com bested all companies’ average growth rate of 559 percent
LOS ANGELES, March 1, 2023 – Inc. Magazine announced this week that Pray.com is No. 4 on its third annual Inc. 5000 Regionals: Pacific list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing Pacific private companies, based in Alaska, Hawaii, California, Oregon, and Washington. Pray.com is also the No. 1 media company on the list. Born of the annual Inc. 5000 franchise, this regional list represents a unique look at the most successful private companies within the Pacific economy generating sustainable growth and jobs.
“We are grateful that God has given Pray.com the opportunity to inspire millions of people from 183 different countries. We will continue to work hard to make prayer a priority everyday,” said Pray.com founder and CEO Steve Gatena. “While we appreciate the industry recognition of our accomplishments, what means more is what this represents – that we are helping grow faith, cultivate community, and leave a legacy of helping others on a global scale.”
Pray.com is a social impact company and the world's #1 app for daily prayer and faith-based media content. The Pray.com mobile app gives its 14 million users a chance to make prayer a priority with daily devotionals, hear the Bible come to life with original content, and fall asleep to Bedtime Bible stories narrated by inspirational celebrities.
Pray.com couldn’t do this without the invaluable partnerships with ministries and pastors who provide the inspirational teaching to help millions of Christians around the world grow in their faith every day. This includes content such as the “Bible in a Year with Jack Graham” podcast, which recently passed 10 million downloads less than five months after release.
The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Pacific. Between 2019 and 2021, these private companies had an average growth rate of 559 percent and, in 2021 alone, they added 14,536 jobs and $4.6 billion to the Pacific region’s economy. Companies based in the Irvine, Santa Monica, and Venice, California areas had the highest growth rates overall, with Pray.com as the highest in the media sector.
Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals: Pacific, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria, can be found at inc.com/pacific.
“This year’s Inc. 5000 Regional winners represent one of the most exceptional and exciting lists of America’s off-the-charts growth companies. They’re disrupters and job creators, and all delivered an outsize impact on the economy. Remember their names and follow their lead. These are the companies you’ll be hearing about for years to come,” said Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. magazine.
About Pray.com
Founded in 2016 with a mission to grow faith and cultivate community, Pray.com is the world’s No. 1 app for daily prayer and Bible-based audio content. It recently launched a 24/7 live streaming video channel, PrayTV. Reaching more than 14 million people worldwide through its mobile app and website, Pray.com is the easiest way to incorporate prayer into your daily life. Pray.com provides encouragement and inspiration through daily devotionals, Pastor podcasts, and Bedtime Bible Stories. Pray.com founders are Steve Gatena, Mike Lynn, Ryan Beck and Matthew Potter. See more at www.alarryross.com/pray-com.
Methodology
The 2023 Inc. 5000 Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2019 and 2021. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2019. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2021. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2019 is $100,000; the minimum for 2021 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons.
About Inc. Media
The world’s most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent.
The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com.
New ‘Bible in a Year with Jack Graham’ Podcast Passes 10 Million Downloads
Cinematic Journey through the Bible Released in October, Reached #1 on Spotify Religion within First Week
LOS ANGELES, January 30 – Pray.com, the No. 1 app for prayer and faith-based audio and video streaming content, has already seen 10 million downloads of its new “Bible in a Year with Jack Graham” podcast, done in collaboration with iHeartPodcasts and sponsored by the leading healthcare sharing community Medishare. The “Bible in a Year Podcast with Jack Graham” daily series launched in October and reached No. 1 on the Spotify religion list in the first week. It has continued to generate interest and downloads at an accelerated rate, reaching the 10 million milestone in record time.
“We praise God for how Pray.com has been used as a tool to help people get into His Word and grow in their faith,” said Pray.com Founder and CEO Steve Gatena. “We thank Pastor Jack Graham for his commitment to this project, which has made it of such great quality for listeners, and we congratulate both the iHeart and Pray.com teams for their hard work in delivering such a stellar podcast.”
“I wasn’t sure what to expect when we first launched the podcast, but it’s been amazing to see what God has done. Millions of people have been impacted by it,” Graham said. “With its cinematic approach, even those who have struggled to make a habit of getting into the word, are coming back day after day. I’m so grateful for Pray.com and the amazing work they’ve done on this project, and I pray BibleinaYear.com touches many more millions of lives.”
Dr. Jack Graham is the pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church, one of the nation’s largest, most dynamic congregations with over 56,000 members. He is a noted author of numerous books, including his most recent, “Reignite: Fresh Focus for An Enduring Faith.” His passionate, biblical teaching is also seen and heard across the country and throughout the world on “PowerPoint Ministries.” Graham has served as Honorary Chairman of the National Day of Prayer and President of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the country, with more than 14 million members.
“We’ve been blown away by how well received the ‘Bible in a Year with Jack Graham’ podcast has been,” said Max Bard, VP of Content at Pray.com. “We hoped that this entertaining and story-driven format would help listeners get into a daily habit of engaging the Bible, and it has. We pray it will continue to inspire listeners to establish a routine to stay in God’s Word and experience the joy of reading the Bible every day.”
In addition to “Bible in a Year with Jack Graham,” Pray.com hosts podcasts from leading Christian pastors and speakers, meditative and reflective prayers, and Bible-based resources to aid listeners wherever they may be in their spiritual growth journeys. Pray.com podcasts are distributed by iHeartPodcasts.
Find “Bible in a Year with Jack Graham” and other prayer and faith-based audio content at
www.pray.com/discover, on the iHeartRadio app, and everywhere podcasts are heard.
About Pray.com
Founded in 2016 with a mission to grow faith and cultivate community, Pray.com is the world’s No. 1 app for daily prayer and Bible-based audio content. It recently launched a 24/7 live streaming video channel, PrayTV. Reaching more than 10 million people worldwide through its mobile app and website, Pray.com is the easiest way to incorporate prayer into your daily life. Pray.com provides encouragement and inspiration through daily devotionals, Pastor podcasts, and Bedtime Bible Stories. Pray.com founders are Steve Gatena, Mike Lynn, Ryan Beck, and Matthew Potter. See more at www.alarryross.com/pray-com.
Pray.com Named to Inc.’s 2022 Best in Business List for General Excellence
3rd annual list recognizes 241 private companies putting purpose ahead of profit
LOS ANGELES, December 7, 2022 – Pray.com has been named to the Inc. 2022 Best in Business list in the General Excellence category. This award honors companies that have made an extraordinary impact in their fields and society. Pray.com is the first religious media company to have ever been recognized for this award.
The list, which can be found in the Winter issue of Inc. magazine (on newsstands December 13), recognizes the most dynamic companies of all sizes and industries that have had an outstanding influence on their communities or their industries.
Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc., says, “Inc. magazine is dedicated to showcasing America’s most dynamic businesses and the great things they do. The Best in Business Awards shine a light on those that have gone above and beyond their original mission to make a social, environmental or economic impact, benefiting those around them.”
Rather than relying on quantitative criteria tied to sales or funding, Inc.’s editors reviewed the companies’ achievements over the past year and noted how they made a positive difference in the world. They then selected honorees in 55 categories – from advertising to sustainability to retail, and more – and in age-based, revenue-based, size-based, and impact-based categories. The applicant pool was extremely competitive – a huge success for the 241 honored in the list’s third year. Honorees for general excellence across various industries and categories are featured online at inc.com/best-in-business.
“We are honored to have been recognized by Inc. not just for a standard of excellence, but for how we combine profit and purpose at Pray.com. At Pray.com, prayer is the priority. As the world’s #1 app for daily prayer, Pray.com strives to help people grow faith, cultivate community, and leave a legacy of helping others,” said Pray.com founder and CEO Steve Gatena. “Pray.com appreciates Inc.’s efforts to bring attention to social impact companies, and we are grateful to be listed at the top.”
About Pray.com
Pray.com was launched in 2017 with a mission to grow faith and cultivate community. Today, Pray.com is the world’s No. 1 app for daily prayer and faith-based audio content. In addition to helping people make prayer a priority with its mobile app, Pray.com produced the Bible in Year podcast, which hit #1 on Spotify in the religion category. Pray.com is the only company to have worked with the President of the United States, the U.S. Surgeon General, and the National Institutes of Health to promote the power of prayer and its benefits on mental health and wellness. Everyday, Pray.com provides millions of people with encouragement and inspiration through daily devotionals, sermons from pastors, and Bedtime Bible Stories. See more at www.pray.com/discover.
ABOUT INC.
The world’s most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community they need to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com.
Pray.com partners with Renowned Researchers to Study the App’s Benefits to Mental Health
LOS ANGELES, October 26, 2022 – As the No. 1 app for daily prayer, Pray.com is partnering with renowned researchers to study the benefits that digitally enabled prayer can have on mental health and well-being during our current pandemic-induced mental health crisis. With approximately 26% of the U.S. adult population suffering from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year, according to John Hopkins Medicine, and at a time when people are more interconnected digitally than in-person, Pray.com believes it’s important to scientifically study the benefits of digital engagement with prayer for the first time.
“We know from experience and the existing anecdotal research, that prayer, meditation and consumption of faith-based content is beneficial to your mental and spiritual well-being,” said Founder and CEO Steve Gatena. “We are excited to contribute to the scientific knowledge to further examine the science behind digital prayer and its impacts on mental, physical and spiritual health, an area of research that has been largely overlooked.”
Partnering with established scientists in this space, Pray.com will conduct multiple first-of-their-kind studies to assess the impact of digitally-enabled prayer on mental health and wellness, bringing together science around mental health and digital prayer.
Dr. Jennifer Huberty, former Director of Science at Calm, who recently joined Pray.com as Fractional Chief Science Advisor, is leading the company’s research efforts in partnership with Dr. Todd Hall, a professor of psychology at Biola University and a faculty affiliate at the Harvard Human Flourishing Program; Dr. Joshua Hook, Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology at the University of North Texas; and Dr. Daryl R. Van Tongeren, Associate Professor of Psychology at Hope College.
“I am very passionate about mental health,” said Dr. Huberty. “If we can show that spiritual well-being is linked to mental health benefits, then Pray.com, with its spiritual well-being offerings, could be a strategy to help people improve their mental wellness.”
One clinical study in the process is a randomized control trial in which participants with high levels of stress will be assigned to one of three groups to determine the effects of the app on stress and mental health. Findings from this study will add to the scientific knowledge about how spiritual well-being may reduce stress and improve mental health outcomes. Another study is exploring the feasibility of Pray.com in ethnic minorities. Findings from this study will help inform the product enhancements to ensure continued inclusivity of the app’s content and experience.
In addition to these studies, Dr. Hall is conducting a cross-sectional survey based on Harvard’s Human Flourishing Program to help understand self-reported user perceptions of the app and its benefits for spiritual and mental wellness.
“The essence of the research I have done in my career has been about the well-being of people and how we become the best version of ourselves. After countless hours of conducting research on social connection and flourishing, I am more convinced that relationships are the key to flourishing in life and work,” said Dr. Hall. “This is exactly what Pray.com is doing with these research projects. By understanding its users’ needs the platform gives them an opportunity to connect with others and improve their mental health, which translates into other areas of their lives.”
As the first religious mental health and wellness app to do so, Pray.com’s purpose in these studies is to drive scientific insight into the impact digitally enabled prayer has on mental health and to use its findings to raise more awareness of ways to strengthen mental health by practicing the healthy habit of daily prayer.
About Pray.com
Founded in 2016 with a mission to grow faith and cultivate community, Pray.com is the world’s No. 1 app for daily prayer and Bible-based audio content. It recently launched a 24/7 live-streaming video channel, PrayTV. Reaching more than 10 million people worldwide through its mobile app and website, Pray.com is the easiest way to incorporate prayer into your daily life. Pray.com provides encouragement and inspiration through daily devotionals, Pastor podcasts, and Bedtime Bible Stories. Pray.com founders are Steve Gatena, Mike Lynn, Ryan Beck and Matthew Potter. See more at www.pray.com/discover.
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Media Contact:
Melany Ethridge
melany@alarryross.com
214-912-8934
Author and Pastor Brings Foundational Biblical Teaching to Pray.com with ‘The Basics with Beth’
LOS ANGELES, October 18, 2022 – Pastor Beth Jones, co-founder and co-senior pastor of Valley Family Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan, has joined Pray.com, the leading mobile platform providing 24/7 prayer and faith-based audio and video streaming content as a content creator, bringing her teaching and wisdom to the app.
Jones and her husband, Jeff, have led their church together as visionary pastors and shared the pulpit as Bible teachers. They have recently extended their vision and leadership positions to their son and daughter-in-law, who are the new interim lead pastors of Valley Family Church.
“I love Pray.com, their whole backstory and passion for the Gospel and I am thrilled to be partnered with this team,” Jones said. “Pray.com has the experience, skillset, technology, and reach to share content to the world. People need the Bible and its basic truths and Pray.com allows me to share that passion with a much wider audience. I have seen our social following and requests for our free ebook, the 7 Basics, increase since partnering with them, which tells me people are hungry for the Word.”
For the past 30 years, Jones has been helping people learn the basics of faith through writing, speaking and co-pastoring with her husband. Through The Basics With Beth, she and the BWB team are passionate and focused on strengthening individuals, small groups, missionaries and church congregations in the Bible basics and giving them transferable study tools so they can share the Bible basics with others. As an author, Jones has written more than 20 books aimed at helping people unlock the foundational truths of the Bible in a way that makes practical sense to their Christian faith and everyday life. More than 250,000 copies of her flagship book, “Getting a Grip on the Basics,” have been sold in America and thousands more have been distributed in more than 27 foreign languages around the world. She also writes The Basics Devo blog, a free resource to all.
Jones teaches the basics in a down-to-earth, humorous and practical way through her weekly podcast and on “The Basics With Beth TV” which airs on the Pray.com App, the Hillsong Channel, TBN Nejat in the Middle East and on Smart TV platforms including Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV. Jones founded The Basics University, a growing, online video-based discipleship platform with over a dozen free courses and 7,200 subscribers. Jones received her bachelors in Communication from Boston University and received her ministry training at Rhema Bible College in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
In addition to Jones’s pastoring, speaking and mentorship, her church has a community outreach initiative called The Valley Groceries Food Pantry, where volunteers distribute supplemental groceries to families in need in the southwest Michigan community, with no requirements or strings attached, every Tuesday night. The community outreach also offers optional prayer and an inspiring in-person message that is available to all. This past summer The Valley Groceries was able to give their three millionth meal.
“It has been so amazing to have Pastor Beth’s content on our platform,” said Pray.com founder Matthew Potter. “Her teaching is exactly what so many of our members want and need, and we are so grateful for the encouragement and the inspiration that she is able to provide for their lives via pray.com.”
In addition to Jones’s content, Pray.com includes teaching and preaching programs from leading Christian pastors and speakers, along with meditative and reflective prayer and Bible-based resources to aid listeners wherever they may be in their spiritual growth journeys. Find “The Basics with Beth” and other prayer and faith-based audio content at www.pray.com/discover.
To listen to Jones’s content, visit https://www.pray.com/bethjones.
About Pray.com
Pray.com helps people make prayer a priority in their life. Pray.com is the world's #1 app for daily prayer and faith-based media content. The Pray.com app helps people improve their mental & spiritual health with daily prayers, inspirational sermons, and bedtime Bible stories. Founded in 2016 by Steve Gatena, Michael Lynn, Ryan Beck and Matthew Potter, Pray.com is a social impact company driven by a mission to grow faith, cultivate community and leave a legacy of helping others. See more at www.alarryross.com/pray-com.
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Media Contact:
Melany Ethridge
melany@alarryross.com
214-912-8934
New Pray.com Podcast ‘Bible in a Year with Jack Graham’ Hits #1 on Spotify Religion in First Week
‘Bible in a Year with Jack Graham’ surpasses one million downloads in the first week after its launch
LOS ANGELES, October 10, 2022 – Pray.com, the No. 1 app for daily prayer and faith-based audio content, has already hit No. 1 on Spotify’s religion list within the first week of launching its new podcast “Bible in a Year with Jack Graham.” The “Bible in a Year with Jack Graham” podcast was produced with a full 61-piece orchestra, helping to provide a cinematic journey through the Bible. Each daily (Mon. – Fri.) episode runs approximately 15 minutes and focuses on a specific story, designed to help listeners experience the Bible in a new way.
"At Pray.com prayer is the priority. Our new and innovative Bible in a Year format was specifically designed to help people hear the Bible come to life.” said Steve Gatena, Founder & CEO of Pray.com. “We are honored and excited to have hit #1 in the charts on Spotify, it's a true blessing. I am so proud of our entire team for how hard they worked. I am grateful to Pastor Jack Graham for leading us through the scriptures, and as always, we give God the glory for making this podcast such a smashing success.”
Dr. Jack Graham is the pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church, one of the nation’s largest, most dynamic congregations with over 50,000 members. He is a noted author of numerous books, including his most recent “Reignite: Fresh Focus for An Enduring Faith.” His passionate, biblical teaching is also seen and heard across the country and throughout the world on “PowerPoint Ministries.” Graham has served as Honorary Chairman of the National Day of Prayer and has helped lead various national prayer initiatives. He served as President of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the country, with more than 14 million members.
In addition to “Bible in a Year with Jack Graham,” Pray.com hosts podcasts from leading Christian influencers including Drew Brees, Lecrae, and Kel Mitchell.
Find “Bible in a Year with Jack Graham” at www.BibleInAYear.com as well as the world’s #1 app for daily prayer and faith-based audio content at www.pray.com/.
About Pray.com
Founded in 2016 with a mission to grow faith and cultivate community, Pray.com is the world’s No. 1 app for daily prayer and Bible-based audio content. It recently launched a 24/7 live streaming video channel, PrayTV. Reaching more than 10 million people worldwide through its mobile app and website, Pray.com is the easiest way to incorporate prayer into your daily life. Pray.com provides encouragement and inspiration through daily devotionals, Pastor podcasts, and Bedtime Bible Stories. Pray.com founders are Steve Gatena, Mike Lynn, Ryan Beck and Matthew Potter. See more at www.alarryross.com/pray-com.
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Media Contact:
Melany Ethridge
melany@alarryross.com
214-912-8934
‘Bible in a Year with Jack Graham’ Podcast Launches on Pray.com, a New Way to Experience God’s Word
‘Bible in a Year with Jack Graham’ is distributed by iHeartPodcasts, and is already the No. 1 new podcast in religion on Apple Podcasts
LOS ANGELES, October 4, 2022 – Pray.com, the No. 1 app for prayer and faith-based audio and video streaming content, has launched “Bible in a Year with Jack Graham” in collaboration with iHeartPodcasts, and sponsored by the leading healthcare sharing community Medishare. The “Bible in a Year Podcast with Jack Graham” is a daily series that will help listeners experience the Bible in a new way, using original background music with a full 61-piece orchestra to provide a cinematic journey through a specific story in the Bible. Each of the 244 total episodes runs under 15 minutes in length, designed to be easy to understand and convenient for people on the go.
"We believe that the ‘Bible in a Year Podcast with Jack Graham’ will strengthen audiences’ understanding of the Word and inspire them to learn the profound stories of the Bible,” said Max Bard, VP of Content at Pray.com. “We hope this entertaining and engaging series helps listeners get into a daily habit of learning the Bible. This podcast will inspire them to establish a routine to have a moment with God every day, by staying on track in God’s Word and experiencing the joy of reading the Bible.”
Dr. Jack Graham is the pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church, one of the nation’s largest, most dynamic congregations with over 50,000 members. He is a noted author of numerous books, including his most recent “Reignite: Fresh Focus for An Enduring Faith.” His passionate, biblical teaching is also seen and heard across the country and throughout the world on “PowerPoint Ministries.” Graham has served as Honorary Chairman of the National Day of Prayer and has helped lead various national prayer initiatives. He served as President of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the country, with more than 14 million members.
“It’s truly an honor to partner with Pray.com in bringing such a great project such as ‘The Bible in a Year Podcast’ to fruition,” Graham said. “It’s extremely critical to seek any means possible to bring the Word of God to our communities, our country and the world. We look forward to taking listeners on a journey that will engage and inspire them every day.”
Pray.com founder Steve Gatena adds: “We are honored to be partnering with Dr. Graham as he hosts our new and innovative format for ‘Bible in a Year,’ and we appreciate Medishare’s support in sponsoring such important content. The Bible’s deep and rich history deserves to be voiced by a teacher of Jack’s caliber. We are grateful to be working with him and pray that BibleInAYear.com serves as a huge blessing to all who discover it.”
In addition to “Bible in a Year with Jack Graham,” Pray.com hosts podcasts from leading Christian pastors and speakers, meditative and reflective prayers and Bible-based resources to aid listeners wherever they may be in their spiritual growth journeys. Pray.com podcasts are distributed by iHeartPodcasts.
Find “Bible in a Year with Jack Graham” and other prayer and faith-based audio content at
www.pray.com/discover, on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are heard.
About Pray.com
Founded in 2016 with a mission to grow faith and cultivate community, Pray.com is the world’s No. 1 app for daily prayer and Bible-based audio content. It recently launched a 24/7 live streaming video channel, PrayTV. Reaching more than 10 million people worldwide through its mobile app and website, Pray.com is the easiest way to incorporate prayer into your daily life. Pray.com provides encouragement and inspiration through daily devotionals, Pastor podcasts, and Bedtime Bible Stories. Pray.com founders are Steve Gatena, Mike Lynn, Ryan Beck and Matthew Potter. See more at www.alarryross.com/pray-com.
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Media Contact:
Melany Ethridge
melany@alarryross.com
214-912-8934
Pray.com, the No. 1 Faith Brand App, Joins The iHeartPodcast Network
LOS ANGELES, September 29, 2022 – Pray.com, the No. 1 app for prayer and faith-based audio and video streaming content, has announced a new collaboration with iHeartPodcasts, the No. 1 podcast publisher globally according to Podtrac, to bring innovative, exciting and engaging Christian media programming to the world. Beginning today, Pray.com audio content will be distributed by the iHeartPodcast Network and available everywhere podcasts are heard.
"The entire team at Pray.com is excited to partner with iHeart. The breadth and diversity of the iHeartPodcast Network is second to none, giving Pray.com the ability to reach hundreds of millions of additional listeners around the world. As PRAY continues to elevate the standard of faith-based audio content, we will also be releasing new shows for both English and Spanish audiences.” said Steve Gatena, CEO and co-founder of Pray.com.
iHeartPodcasts and Pray.com’s first show launch will be “Bible in a Year with Jack Graham,” a daily series that will help listeners experience the Bible in a new way, using original background music with a full 61-piece orchestra to provide a cinematic journey through a specific story in the Bible. The collaboration will bring more faith-based podcasts throughout the year.
The iHeartPodcast Network is part of iHeartMedia and is home to more than 750 original podcasts that span every category from business, sports, spirituality and technology to entertainment, family, comedy and true crime – and everything in between – making iHeartPodcasts the largest publisher of podcast content in the world with more than 450 million downloads each month.
Visit iHeart.com or download the iHeartRadio app on your favorite device to listen to podcasts, music and radio anywhere you are.
About Pray.com
Founded in 2016 with a mission to grow faith and cultivate community, Pray.com is the world’s No. 1 app for daily prayer and Bible-based audio content. It recently launched a 24/7 live streaming video channel, PrayTV. Reaching more than 10 million people worldwide through its mobile app and website, Pray.com is the easiest way to incorporate prayer into your daily life. Pray.com provides encouragement and inspiration through daily devotionals, Pastor podcasts, and Bedtime Bible Stories. Pray.com founders are Steve Gatena, Mike Lynn, Ryan Beck and Matthew Potter. See more at www.alarryross.com/pray-com.
About iHeartMedia
iHeartMedia, Inc. [Nasdaq: IHRT] is the leading audio media company in America, reaching over 90% of Americans every month, and has a portfolio of unmatched consumer brands and industry-leading events. iHeart’s broadcast radio assets alone have more consumer reach in the U.S. than any other media outlet; twice the reach of the next largest broadcast radio company; and over four times the ad-enabled reach of the largest digital only audio service. iHeart is the largest podcast publisher according to Podtrac, with more downloads than the next four podcast publishers combined; has the number one social footprint among audio players, with seven times more followers than the next audio media brand; and is the only fully integrated audio ad tech solution across broadcast, streaming and podcasts. The company continues to leverage its strong audience connection and unparalleled consumer reach to build new platforms, products and services. Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.
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Pray.com Celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month with New Content from Sergio De La Mora
LOS ANGELES, September 15, 2022 – Pray.com, the No.1 app for prayer and faith-based audio and video streaming content, is promoting the celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month with the addition of “The Road to Redemption” by Pastor Sergio De La Mora of Heart Revolution Church. De La Mora is a leading Latin voice in America whose mission is to raise leaders who will win souls and make disciples to influence their generation for Christ. National Hispanic Heritage Month takes place from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 annually and recognizes the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.
"We celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month to recognize the achievements and contributions of Hispanic American champions who have inspired others to achieve success,” said Pray.com Founder Matthew Potter. “We believe Pastor Sergio is very much a leader in that space and we are excited to begin delivering his messages of encouragement and inspiration to our Spanish-speaking audiences."
De La Mora’s content will run on Pray Radio in English and will be offered in Spanish under the app’s existing ‘Spanish’ tab. Additionally, Spanish- language content will be featured on De La Mora’s channel. With the user’s phone set to Spanish language, Pray.com features Spanish content such as Daily & Nightly Prayer, 21 day Prayer Plans, Biblical Sagas, Kids Bible Stories and Meditations, Book Summaries, and most Bedtime Bible Stories. With the phone’s primary language set to English, all of the same content is still available under the Spanish tab.
”Como aplicación #1 para la oración y el contenido de audio basado en la fe, en Pray.com estamos comprometidos a brindar algo para todos” said founder Steve Gatena. “El podcast del pastor Sergio y nuestro otro contenido en español es solo una muestra de lo que está por venir. Nos apasiona servir a nuestra creciente audiencia de habla hispana.”
De La Mora is the founder of Heart Revolution Church in San Diego, California; Tijuana, Mexico; and Bogota, Columbia. He is the author of “The Heart Revolution” and “Paradox: The God Who Breaks the Rules.” Now that he is no longer pastoring full-time, De La Mora hosts his own podcast titled, “The Road to Restoration,” inspired by his own testimony of redemption. He speaks around the world, is featured on different radio and television broadcasts, and consults and preaches with leaders globally.
“I'm excited about this content being featured on Pray.com and putting energy into this new platform that has the power to reach people outside the physical doors of the church,” De La Mora said. “Transcending Sunday sermons, this platform will allow us to reach more people and influence nations in both English and Spanish.”
Pastor De La Mora is creating a two-part training process on bringing restoration to churches, leadership teams, families, marriages and businesses. This new curriculum will be called “42,” based on his own redemption journey, when God kept leading him to biblical examples of restoration. For example: Job 42, where God restored Job’s losses and made his life greater than before; Genesis 42, where Joseph was restored from his losses; and Isaiah 42, where God mentions restoration for those who dwell in their sorrow until they are called out to be restored. After discovering this theme “42” being associated with times of restoration, De La Mora claimed the title and started a new campaign with curriculum and clothing apparel.
In addition to De La Mora’s content, Pray.com includes podcasts from leading Christian pastors and speakers, meditative and reflective prayers and Bible-based resources to aid listeners wherever they may be in their spiritual growth journeys. Other Spanish language content options include pastors Sammy Rodriguez and Adam Mesa. Find De La Mora’s content and other prayer and faith-based audio content at www.pray.com/discover.
About Pray.com
Founded in 2016 with a mission to grow faith and cultivate community, Pray.com is the world’s No. 1 app for daily prayer and Bible-based audio content. It recently launched a 24/7 live streaming video channel, PrayTV. Reaching more than 10 million people worldwide through its mobile app and website, Pray.com is the easiest way to incorporate prayer into your daily life. Pray.com provides encouragement and inspiration through daily devotionals, Pastor podcasts, and Bedtime Bible Stories. Pray.com founders are Steve Gatena, Mike Lynn, Ryan Beck and Matthew Potter. See more at www.alarryross.com/pray-com.
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Through ‘Connect with Skip Heitzig’ on Pray.com, New Mexico Pastor Hopes to Advance the Gospel
LOS ANGELES, August 30, 2022 – Skip Heitzig, senior pastor of Calvary Church based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, reaches thousands across the nation and around the world through his TV and radio ministry, Connect with Skip Heitzig. To advance the Gospel message even further, Heitzig has joined Pray.com, the leading mobile platform providing 24/7 prayer and faith-based audio and video streaming content.
“Pray.com is so valuable because it has such a diverse and large audience, not just in ethnicity, race or age, but belief in the Christian realm,” said Heitzig. “I find that very attractive because I like the idea of discussing spiritual ideas. Of course, we believe the Bible is the authority and the Word of God, but people have different views, ideologies and backgrounds as to what that means to them. Pray.com gets people interested in something as innocuous and as beneficial as prayer, which really does work.”
Launched in the 80s, Heitzig’s radio ministry has since expanded to several hundred radio stations worldwide. Heitzig’s multi-media ministry, The Connection, consists of daily 30-minute broadcasts that follow Calvary’s mission of upreach to God, inreach to those in the body of Christ and outreach to those lost in sin.
Heitzig and Calvary Church have a two-fold mission: to proclaim the good news that Jesus Christ is the Savior of all who believe in Him; and to make firm through the Word of God the faith of those who believe. He has authored several books including The Bible from 30,000 Feet, Defying Normal, You Can Understand the Book of Revelation and How to Study the Bible and Enjoy It. He serves on several boards, including Samaritan's Purse and Harvest.
Since joining Pray.com’s platform, Heitzig’s ministry has reached an even broader audience, going from 1.3 million listened minutes to 2.5 million listened minutes from November 2021 to July 2022. Heitzig’s two most popular shows on Pray.com, “Sunday Service with Skip Heitzig” and “Connect with Skip” make up the majority of that time.
“We're really pleased with our partnership with Pray.com because our audience has increased and our listeners tuning in have been trending up in minutes and in shows listened to. It's almost doubled since November and we’re stoked about it,” said Heitzig. “What we’ve really loved about our relationship with Pray.com is their collaboration and positive response to our special events. Pray.com hosted one of our events called ‘Freedom Celebration’ at our campus in New Mexico, and we saw many decisions for Christ that evening.”
In addition to evangelism and discipleship, Calvary Church is helping meet the physical needs of children around the globe through two additional ministries. After discovering that the state of New Mexico is one of the highest states for “food insecure children,” Feed New Mexico Kids was created. The church works with public schools to distribute food packs for kids to take home in order to have food over the weekend. It has been so successful that more school districts have asked for the same help. Feed New Mexico Kids distributes thousands of these food packs every week. A second non-profit, Reload Love, was established by Heitzig’s wife Lenya. It makes jewelry out of spent brass bullet casings, which is sold to raise money to aid children affected by terrorism. So far, Reload Love has been able to build schools and playgrounds in Iraq, Syria, Asia and Africa.
“We love Pastor Skip and his heart for people, and are so excited to have his content on Pray.com. It is welcoming and encouraging to people of all faiths or none as he teaches spiritual concepts from the Bible,” said Pray.com founder Matthew Potter. “We also love his team’s support for people in need through their outreach programs, and have been honored to help with some of those projects.”
In addition to Skip Heitzig’s current content, Pray.com includes teaching and preaching programs from leading Christian pastors and speakers, along with meditative and reflective prayer and Bible-based resources to aid listeners wherever they may be in their spiritual growth journeys. Find “Connect with Skip Heitzig” and other prayer and faith-based audio content at www.pray.com/discover.
About Pray.com
Founded in 2016 with a mission to grow faith and cultivate community, Pray.com is the world’s No. 1 app for daily prayer and Bible-based audio content. It recently launched a 24/7 live streaming video channel, PrayTV. Reaching more than 10 million people worldwide through its mobile app and website, Pray.com is the easiest way to incorporate prayer into your daily life. Pray.com provides encouragement and inspiration through daily devotionals, Pastor podcasts, and Bedtime Bible Stories. Pray.com founders are Steve Gatena, Mike Lynn, Ryan Beck and Matthew Potter. See more at www.alarryross.com/pray-com.
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Kel Mitchell Reading the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ Now Available on Pray.com’s Bedtime Bible Stories
LOS ANGELES, August 23, 2022 – Kel Mitchell, a two-time Emmy Award-nominated actor, producer, comedian, and youth pastor from Chicago, Illinois, has joined Pray.com, the #1 app for prayer and faith-based audio and video streaming content. Pray.com’s Bedtime Bible Stories series now features Mitchell reading one of the most popular stories of the Bible, the Sermon on the Mount. The Bedtime Bible Stories by Pray.com educate listeners on the biblical collections, ethical sayings, and religious teachings attributed to Jesus Christ as found in the Gospels.
"Partnering with Kel is an absolute pleasure. His knowledge of the Bible brought incredible inspiration to the project and has really produced an amazing Bedtime Bible Story,” said Max Bard, VP of Content at Pray.com. “Kel has a phenomenal voice for bedtime stories. I remember even while we were recording in the studio, our audio engineer had mentioned it was one of the most relaxed recording sessions on which he had ever worked."
Click on the image to view a behind-the-scenes trailer.
Mitchell is well-known for his big break on Nickelodeon’s award-winning show, “All That,” Nickelodeon's longest-running live-action series, which he also executive produced. It paved the way for several successful spin-offs, including “Kenan & Kel” and the feature-length film “Good Burger,” which cemented Mitchell's impact on pop culture.
In 2019, Mitchell became the Youth Pastor of Spirit Food Christian Center in Winnetka, California, after his pastor, Rev. Garry D. Zeigler, saw God's calling on his life to reach and teach the youth. The ministry is dedicated to the Lord and to teaching youth about the uncompromising Word of God through Bible lessons, activities, and the arts. The ministry is organized into two groups according to age: Kingdom Kidz for children ages 2 to 11, and J.E.T (Jesus Empowering Teens) for those 12 to 19 years old.
Today, when Mitchell is not acting, writing or directing, he speaks weekly to youth across the country, encouraging them to love God and follow their dreams. Mitchell also has been faithfully involved in Helps Ministry for over 10 years at his church. Additionally, he serves as the spokesperson for the National College Resources Foundation's Black College Expo, which provides numerous scholarships for students throughout the year. Mitchell recently released a 90-day devotional entitled, “Blessed Mode: 90 Days to Level up your Faith,” which debuted in the Top 25 Books in Christian Youth Ministry.
“Prayer and time with God are so important to do every day,” said Mitchell. “Finding time to unwind, destress and just relax in the word of God is such a blessing! This is why I am so excited about partnering with Pray.com. Prayer is a priority.”
Mitchell’s reading will help dispel listeners’ anxiety and encourage them to release their burdens to God. Pray.com hopes its Bedtime Bible Stories improve members’ mental health, help them learn how to live a life pleasing to God, and aid with better sleep through this audio reading of God’s Word.
In addition to Bedtime Bible Stories, Pray.com includes podcasts from leading Christian pastors and speakers, meditative and reflective prayers, and Bible-based resources to aid listeners wherever they may be in their spiritual growth journeys.
Find “Sermon on the Mount by Kel Mitchell” and other prayer and faith-based audio content at www.pray.com/discover.
About Pray.com
Founded in 2016 with a mission to grow faith and cultivate community, Pray.com is the world’s No. 1 app for daily prayer and Bible-based audio content. It recently launched a 24/7 live streaming video channel, PrayTV. Reaching more than 10 million people worldwide through its mobile app and website, Pray.com is the easiest way to incorporate prayer into your daily life. Pray.com provides encouragement and inspiration through daily devotionals, Pastor podcasts, and Bedtime Bible Stories. Pray.com founders are Steve Gatena, Mike Lynn, Ryan Beck and Matthew Potter. See more at www.alarryross.com/pray-com.
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Pray.com Introduces New Series with Gary Valenciano
Filipino Superstar to Help Bring New Life to Beloved Bible Stories
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 11, 2022 – With a powerful line-up of inspirational and Bible-based content, Pray.com launches a new series, “Heroes of the Bible: Joseph,” to grow its audio collection and offer a new perspective on heroes found in Scripture. Immersing listeners in a memorable cinematic audio experience, Filipino superstar Gary Valenciano – known by fans as Gary V, “Mr. Pure Energy” – voices the story of Joseph and helps offer insight for modern-day heroes of the faith.
“Gary is a breath of fresh air with some of the best vocals we’ve ever heard. Pray.com has been working together with Gary for the past year, and nothing but magic has been produced,” said Max Bard, Pray.com VP of Content. “He has a voice that feels like he’s giving you a hug. And with the brand-new release of Joseph, you will get to experience his range and the Bible come to life.”
Inspired by the book of Genesis from the Bible, this audio series introduces listeners to the flawed hero, Joseph. This beloved son of Israel is bestowed a coat of glimmering colors, showcasing his favor over his brothers. However, his father’s favor puffs him up with pride, which ultimately becomes his downfall. Joseph's brothers sell him into slavery, forever changing the trajectory of his life.
“Joseph was a hero who went through a lot, and you’ll hear all of that when you get to listen to his story in 'Heroes of the Bible,’” Valenciano said. “I have so enjoyed working with Pray.com on this content, as they’re not just professionals, the Pray.com team is also passionate about putting the Word of God across in a manner that caters to everyone. This Joseph story is written in a way that it can really be accepted and appreciated by people today. It’s slightly reimagined, and I tried to put in what I personally felt would have been the drama going on between Joseph, his brothers, his father, the coat, the dreams, Pharaoh, and all the other characters that played a role, the butler, the baker.”
Valenciano is no stranger to the story of Joseph or the unbelievable events that characterize his life. In fact, Valenciano secured a role acting as Joseph’s father, Jacob, in the 2022 production of “Joseph the Dreamer,” taking place at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater in the Philippines. He previously portrayed Joseph in the 1999 run of the musical. “At the time when I was asked to do the ‘Heroes of the Bible’ content featuring Joseph – his story and everything that he went through – I had no idea that its release would fall right alongside the timeline of the musical,” Valenciano added.
As Valenciano guides listeners to discover and experience how God eventually redeems Joseph’s unfortunate circumstances, he invites people on a journey of excitement and entertainment. The biblical story of Joseph provides an example of a historic hero who trusted God. This modern adaptation should be able to offer valuable takeaways for people to do the same in their own lives today.
“Gary’s content has been so impactful for us to listen to, and we can’t wait to share such an engaging and inspiring story with our listeners,” said Bard. “This new version freshens up the language to meet people where they are, while still holding true to the holy Word of God.”
This and other prayer and Bible-based audio content can be explored at www.pray.com/discover.
About Pray.com
Founded in 2016 with a mission to grow faith and cultivate community, Pray.com is the world’s No. 1 app for daily prayer and Bible-based audio content. Reaching more than 10 million people worldwide through its mobile app and website, Pray.com is the easiest way to incorporate prayer into your daily life. Pray.com provides encouragement and inspiration through daily devotionals, pastor podcasts and Bedtime Bible Stories. Pray.com founders are Steve Gatena, Mike Lynn, Ryan Beck and Matthew Potter. See more at www.alarryross.com/pray-com.
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Pray.com and Leading Points Partner to Bring Prayer and Meditation to Service Members with New Military Program
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 2, 2022 – Pray.com has partnered with Leading Points Corporation to launch a military program which will share the power of the Pray.com platform with all members of the Armed Forces, all Veterans and all Military Family Members. This joint venture involves a series of initiatives aimed at enhancing the spiritual readiness of our military heroes and their families, beginning with making Pray.com more accessible by offering a 30-day free trial followed by 30% off the monthly premium subscription for members of the military community.
Pray.com will host this offer at www.pray.com/military, and as the partnership expands, more military and veteran specific content will be available on the platform that will connect service members, their families and veterans to stories of strength and prayer. Pray.com already carries series that provide encouragement and inspiration for military members and veterans. “The Armor of God” features real-life stories of American veterans – military heroes who so proudly wear the spiritual protection that is provided to them, known as The Armor of God, found in Ephesians chapter 6. The Victor Marx podcast is hosted by a Marine Corps Veteran who challenges his audience to maintain and build spiritual health, mixing humor with raw reality stories of survival and redemption to encourage a resilient lifestyle, emphasizing the importance of the faith community in the military.
Members of the military can attest to the common bond they share, in which many of them pray for safety, strength and hope for the present as well as the future, especially during difficult times, personal losses and grief. The Pray.com military program will allow this community to come together and share their inspirational journeys, experiences and messages of strength and healing found through prayer while serving, defending and supporting this great nation.
“Demonstrating great respect and admiration for those who serve in the armed forces is mission critical at Pray.com. Over the past five years Pray.com has worked hard to honor our service members, military families, and veterans in meaningful ways. The brave men and women who serve our country need resources to aid them in their unique challenges,” said Pray.com founder and CEO Steve Gatena. “The men, women, and families in our military are heroes, and as such, it is important that we never overlook their mental health needs. At Pray.com prayer is the priority and we strive to connect as many people as possible to spiritual content that can provide hope, alleviate stress, and deliver inspiration on a daily basis.”
The partnership began when Kevin Sullivan, President of Leading Points, considered the importance of spirituality in the military. While Pray.com already provides broad services that help its users pray, meditate and sleep, the new program will use the range of Pray.com’s services to guide this specific community of users through interacting with a drill sergeant, undergoing deployment and other challenges of the military lifestyle.
"Throughout my career in the military, there was an emphasis placed on everyone’s mental, physical and spiritual readiness. I found that prayer was a very beneficial part of that for individual military members and, thus, the military mission as a whole," explained Kevin Sullivan, president of Leading Points Corporation. “While respecting and supporting the diversity of beliefs across the military community, we are confident that the Pray.com military program will help strengthen the spirituality and readiness of its users.”
For more information about Pray.com or its military program, please visit www.pray.com/military or contact us at military@Pray.com.
About Pray.com
Founded in 2016 with a mission to grow faith and cultivate community, Pray.com is the world’s No. 1 app for daily prayer and Bible-based audio content. It recently launched a 24/7 live streaming video channel, PrayTV. Reaching more than 12 million people worldwide through its mobile app and website, Pray.com is the easiest way to incorporate prayer into your daily life. Pray.com provides encouragement and inspiration through daily devotionals, Pastor podcasts, and Bedtime Bible Stories. Pray.com founders are Steve Gatena, Mike Lynn, Ryan Beck and Matthew Potter. See more at www.pray.com.
About Leading Points
Leading Points Corporation specializes in helping companies develop and implement comprehensive military programs. They are considered the experts in matters of securing placement of their clients' products in the military exchange store distribution channel as well as developing special promotions and distributing them across the military and government markets. As a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Leading Points' leadership team is personally involved with a number of veteran non-profits. Their daily dedication to the military enhances their mission to build strategic partnerships with companies who seek to provide the military market with the very best products and services available. The company is headquartered in Parker, Colorado.
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‘Where Hope Lives’ Launches on Pray.com
Dream City Church Program Focuses on Lives Changed Through Anti-Trafficking Ministry
LOS ANGELES, July 11, 2022 – “Where Hope Lives,” the Phoenix Dream City Church television program featuring the stories of lives changed through the ministry’s human trafficking rescue and recovery program, has just launched on Pray.com. Where Hope Lives is also the name of the ministry, which is the largest human trafficking rescue and recovery operation in North America, bringing hope and healing to 250 survivors every year.
Operated out of the Phoenix Dream Center, Where Hope Lives focuses on adult survivors, but the ministry also includes a program for teen survivors called StreetLight USA, and the Colorado City Dream Center works with familial trafficking survivors. The “Where Hope Lives” television program features true stories of survival told directly by the victims of these horrific events, many having escaped terrible situations like human trafficking, drug abuse and more, to pursue a new life guided by faith.
Aubrey Matthesius, Women’s Ministry Director for Dream City Church, Phoenix, and producer and host of the show, shares her excitement about the new partnership with Pray.com. “We are so grateful for the opportunity for our program to be included on Pray.com, as we believe it will be a great way to help get word out about the ministry work we do at Where Hope Lives,” she said. “It’s also very important to help educate audiences about trafficking, as so many people don’t realize what is really going on, that it’s far different than what many may hear from the mainstream media narrative.”
In addition to providing safe housing for the survivors to have time for recovery, Where Hope Lives assists with education and career training, physical and mental healthcare needs, and spiritual healing and recovery. Once they are ready, the survivors are invited to share their stories for the Where Hope Lives program, telling what happened to them and how they not only escaped, but found hope through faith in Christ. They talk transparently about uncomfortable, real-world issues that are sometimes hard to hear, but which show the way to hope.
“It means everything to us to be able spread the word out about the effects of human trafficking, and this program is a way for people to be a part of something that restores hope,” Matthesius said. “We are excited to partner with Pray.com in sharing these stories and spreading awareness, giving audiences the opportunity to join with us in making real, lasting change. When our culture is so divided over so many things, this is an issue we can unite on because it’s about basic human rights. People get that and want to be involved to help fix it.”
Pray.com is also excited to welcome “Where Hope Lives” to their line-up, as something a little bit different from the teaching and preaching content available on the app. “We appreciate the chance to help share these real-life stories, as that is something that grabs peoples’ attention, that they can relate to and that they’ll remember far longer,” Pray.com founder Matthew Potter said. “The work that the entire Where Hope Lives ministry team does is amazing, truly impacting hearts and lives, and we are honored to have them as part of the Pray.com family.”
In addition to “Where Hope Lives,” Pray.com includes teaching and preaching programs from leading Christian pastors and speakers, along with meditative and reflective prayer and Bible-based resources to aid listeners wherever they may be in their spiritual growth journeys. Find additional prayer and faith-based audio content at www.pray.com/discover. More information about the Where Hope Lives ministry can be found at
http://Dreamcityfoundation.org.
About Pray.com
Founded in 2016 with a mission to grow faith and cultivate community, Pray.com is the world’s No. 1 app for daily prayer and Bible-based audio content. It recently launched a 24/7 live streaming video channel, PrayTV. Reaching more than 10 million people worldwide through its mobile app and website, Pray.com is the easiest way to incorporate prayer into your daily life. Pray.com provides encouragement and inspiration through daily devotionals, Pastor podcasts, and Bedtime Bible Stories. Pray.com founders are Steve Gatena, Mike Lynn, Ryan Beck and Matthew Potter. See more at www.alarryross.com/pray-com.
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Dr. Ed Young’s 'The Winning Walk' Now Featured on Both Pray Radio and PrayTV
LOS ANGELES, June 21, 2022 – Dr. Ed Young, pastor at Second Baptist Church in Houston and founder of the digital broadcast “The Winning Walk,” has always been an advocate for television ministry. His content was one of the first to appear on Pray.com’s Pray Radio and will now be featured on its newest platform, PrayTV. As the leading mobile platform providing 24/7 prayer and faith-based audio and video streaming content, Pray.com has enabled Dr. Young’s encouraging teaching to reach new and growing world-wide audiences.
“It's always been important to us to share our messages beyond the walls of the Church, as that is where we are most likely to reach the people most in need of the spiritual equipping that we need for our daily walk,” said Dr. Young. “Pray.com has been instrumental for us in expanding our audience and helping encourage new listeners and viewers in their spiritual journeys. We are grateful to be a part of this new platform and eager to come alongside people with more immersive methods than just audio content.”
Before coming to Second Baptist Church, Dr. Young ministered at First Baptist Church in Columbia, South Carolina. There, he had a front-row seat to the church’s television ministry and its effectiveness in reaching an audience and building the church. It came as no surprise, then, that Dr. Young wished to implement this same type of ministry in Texas.
Beginning in 1979, Dr. Young would go to a local television station every Monday morning and preach the previous day’s sermon in an empty studio. Over time, more people began to watch, and the broadcast eventually blossomed to include an international reach. “The Winning Walk” now has a ministry in India that is able to translate sermons into other languages and connect individuals who hear these sermons to local churches in the area.
“Dr. Young always likes to say, ‘I’m just scattering seeds. That’s all we do – we scatter seeds.’ Pray.com gives opportunities to amplify and an avenue to really scatter the message far and wide,” said Keith Brown, Director of Broadcast Ministries. “Dr. Young wants to take the truth of the gospel and get it out as far and wide as we possibly can. Pray.com helps us do that and reach areas that we weren’t able to reach before.”
Recently, due to the effects of the pandemic, one pastor was forced to shut down his church, but through Dr. Young’s teaching and daily devotionals, the pastor found encouragement to endure. In fact, people from around the globe have shared similar stories of finding strength in the midst of challenges through “The Winning Walk.”
“The ability to get places where we weren’t able to before – to get the gospel into someone’s pocket – that’s an amazing thing to be able to do,” Brown added. “It’s encouraging for us to know people are using and seeing the content because the numbers represent souls. These metrics help make tangible something that’s intangible.”
Through Dr. Young’s impact, Second Baptist Church has grown from 2,000 members in 1978 to over 87,000 members across six church campuses. Serving two terms as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, Dr. Young has also written numerous books, including “The 10 Commandments of Marriage,” “The 10 Commandments of Parenting” and “Healing Broken America.”
“We are so honored to have Dr. Young’s content on our platform as he is such a respected voice with a heart for helping people overcome their struggles, which is also very important to us here at Pray.com,” said founder Matthew Potter. “We look forward to continuing to work alongside ‘The Winning Walk’ in exploring ways we can better serve our audiences who we know are benefitting so much from this encouraging content.”
In addition to “The Winning Walk,” Pray.com includes teaching and preaching programs from leading Christian pastors and speakers, along with meditative and reflective prayer and Bible-based resources to aid listeners wherever they may be in their spiritual growth journeys. Find “The Winning Walk” and other prayer and faith-based audio content at www.pray.com/discover.
About Pray.com
Founded in 2016 with a mission to grow faith and cultivate community, Pray.com is the world’s No. 1 app for daily prayer and Bible-based audio content. It recently launched a 24/7 live streaming video channel, PrayTV. Reaching more than 10 million people worldwide through its mobile app and website, Pray.com is the easiest way to incorporate prayer into your daily life. Pray.com provides encouragement and inspiration through daily devotionals, Pastor podcasts, and Bedtime Bible Stories. Pray.com founders are Steve Gatena, Mike Lynn, Ryan Beck and Matthew Potter. See more at www.alarryross.com/pray-com.
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Pastor Ed Young’s Transformative Content Now Available on Both Pray.com’s Pray Radio and PrayTV
LOS ANGELES, June 15, 2022 – With a heart for reaching young people and a passion for creativity, Pastor Ed Young has always been an early adopter in finding new avenues for presenting his teaching and preaching content, and was one of the first to be featured on Pray.com’s Pray Radio and now on the newly-launched PrayTV. As the leading mobile platform providing 24/7 prayer and faith-based audio and video streaming content, Pray.com is a great partner for Pastor Young’s forward-thinking approach in providing messages to help meet cultural needs and encourage the next generation.
“Right now, we’re only one generation away from extinction as far as the things of God. That’s why we put so much energy, effort and resources into the young people at Fellowship Church,” Pastor Young said. “That’s why we are excited about our partnership with Pray.com. I’m so thrilled we are unleashing our creativity and leveraging technology to reach a new generation with the hope of Jesus.”
Pastor Young founded Fellowship Church in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in 1990, and the ministry has grown from 30 families to multiple campuses in three states, two prisons and online. The church also has established the Allaso Ranch retreat center in East Texas to provide a spiritually transformative experience for children and teens. (allaso is Greek for “change”) In addition, it provides a place of recovery and healing for wounded warriors and Gold Star families.
“Pastor Ed has always had such a heart for young people and the importance of helping children and teens establish a godly foundation, as they are our next generation of leaders,” said Dave Clark, Associate Pastor and Director of Media and Technology. “This is what made a partnership with Pray.com so exciting, as we knew that to reach future generations, we needed to transition from traditional broadcast platforms to more online, digital engagement.”
Scott Wilson, Associate Pastor and Director of Communications, appreciates how much further Pray.com and PrayTV allow Ed Young TV programming to reach, expanding it around the world. The ministry looks forward to working with Pray.com to engage more directly with new audiences in a way to help them grow spiritually, as well as meet felt needs they might have. One of Pastor Ed’s older series, “I’m not (blank) enough,” for example, placed an emphasis on mental health, and each sermon addressed an area where those struggling with mental health issues may feel they aren’t good or strong or spiritual enough, etc. Wilson said that with Pray.com’s emphasis on mental health resources, they are considering bringing that type of content to the platform to benefit Pray.com audiences.
“As the Church, we have so much good to say, but don’t always know how to say it to reach the culture. Pray.com is an evolution in this process, taking a platform people are familiar with and using it to present transformative content,” Wilson said. “Yes, technology can be used in some ‘God-awful’ ways, but Pray.com seeks to use it in a God-honoring way, and we are grateful to be partners with them in that.”
Through Pastor Young’s leadership, Fellowship Church has consistently ranked as one of the most attended churches in North America over the past decade. As a New York Times best-selling author, he is a respected voice in the areas of leadership, Christian living, marriage and parenting. With a passion to equip and train leaders in the church, Pastor Young began CreativePastors.com, the Creative Church Conference (C3) and C3 Global in order to provide resources to thousands of pastors and leaders around the world.
“Pastor Ed’s content is some of our most popular programming on Pray.com and now PrayTV,” said Pray.com founder Matthew Potter. “We know his teaching will always be culturally relevant and very encouraging to our younger audiences, especially. We look forward to working together with Ed Young TV to aid them in equipping the next generation through programming on Pray.com.’
In addition to Ed Young TV, Pray.com includes teaching and preaching programs from leading Christian pastors and speakers, along with meditative and reflective prayer and Bible-based resources to aid listeners wherever they may be in their spiritual growth journeys. Find Ed Young TV and other prayer and faith-based audio content at www.pray.com/discover.
About Pray.com
Founded in 2016 with a mission to grow faith and cultivate community, Pray.com is the world’s No. 1 app for daily prayer and Bible-based audio content. It recently launched a 24/7 live streaming video channel, PrayTV. Reaching more than 10 million people worldwide through its mobile app and website, Pray.com is the easiest way to incorporate prayer into your daily life. Pray.com provides encouragement and inspiration through daily devotionals, Pastor podcasts, and Bedtime Bible Stories. Pray.com founders are Steve Gatena, Mike Lynn, Ryan Beck and Matthew Potter. See more at www.alarryross.com/pray-com.
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New 24/7 Streaming Video Channel PrayTV Launches This Week from World’s Leading Prayer App
Format includes Pastors Ed Young, Sr., Jeff Schreve, Troy Brewer and Ed Young, Jr., Musicians Fellowship Creative, OpenDoor Worship
LOS ANGELES, June 9, 2022 – Five years after launching what has become the world’s leading faith-based and Bible audio content app, Pray is moving into the video streaming space with PrayTV, bringing its members’ favorite preachers, Bible teachers and worship leaders to the new visual platform.
Recognizing that video is the primary way we communicate as a nation, PrayTV was created as another way to help support members’ worship and prayer practice, providing another channel to enrich their faith, learn from others and feel part of a community, Pray leaders share.
“Linear TV has seen a drastic decline in viewership as people’s attention continues to shift to mobile and connected devices,” said Ryan Beck, Chief Technology Officer. “PrayTV brings faith video content not just into the homes of Americans, but into the hands of every Christian around the world.”
In addition to inspirational sermons from favorite pastors, the new PrayTV 24/7 streaming channel will include worship music videos from some of the nation’s top Christian bands, along with motivational messages inspired by the Bible from popular faith leaders and Bible teachers. Pastors include Ed Young Sr., Jeff Schreve, Jack Graham, Ed Young Jr., Troy Brewer, Matt Brown, Beth Jones, and many more. Worship bands include Eagle Brook Music, Fellowship Creative, OpenDoor Worship, Nigel "Legin" Anderson and Valley Worship, among others.
“We are so excited to be a part of the new PrayTV platform and the variety of content it includes to help encourage people for growing in their faith,” Dr. Ed Young said. “We are grateful for how we will be able to help them feel connected and inspired throughout their day, reaching them in a more visceral way than through audio content alone.”
PrayTV is available for free for everyone who downloads the app at https://link.pray.com/AppDownload.
About Pray.com
Founded in 2016 with a mission to grow faith and cultivate community, Pray.com is the world’s No. 1 app for daily prayer and Bible-based audio content. It recently launched a 24/7 live streaming video channel, PrayTV. Reaching more than 10 million people worldwide through its mobile app and website, Pray.com is the easiest way to incorporate prayer into your daily life. Pray.com provides encouragement and inspiration through daily devotionals, Pastor podcasts, and Bedtime Bible Stories. Pray.com founders are Steve Gatena, Mike Lynn, Ryan Beck and Matthew Potter. See more at www.alarryross.com/pray-com.
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Timeless Truth Delivered via New Platforms as Pray.com Presents ‘Love Worth Finding’ Podcast
LOS ANGELES, June 2, 2022 – While Pastor Adrian Rogers is no longer with us on earth, his teachings live on via Pray.com, the world’s No. 1 app for daily prayer and Bible-based audio content and the newest platform to deliver Rogers’ trademark “Profound Truth, Simply Stated” content to younger and growing audiences in the digital space.
“While the timeless truth of the biblical message never changes, our approach to Gospel-sharing must be flexible,” said Love Worth Finding Ministry’s EVP of Operations, Bobby Lewis. “We are always trying to make the teaching and preaching of Adrian Rogers accessible to as many people as possible, and Pray.com has been a great partner in that endeavor.”
Rogers, a longtime pastor, teacher and author, impacted untold numbers of lives by presenting profound biblical truth with such simplicity that “a 5 year old can understand it, and yet, it still speaks to the heart of the 50 year old,” as the ministry website states. Love Worth Finding was started in 1987 as the pastor’s broadcast ministry and remains the exclusive provider of his comprehensive teachings today. In the decades since its founding, the ministry has grown to reach 70 million people annually through all touchpoints and has received countless stories of individuals whose lives have been impacted by hearing a Love Worth Finding broadcast just when they needed it most.
By carefully curating the more than 3,500 messages delivered by Rogers during his 50 years in ministry, Love Worth Finding plans to continue to meet audiences where they are with messages in the format they need, however that may look as delivery and distribution methods change. What won’t change, however, is the ministry’s commitment to the “mission of sharing the love of Jesus until He returns,” CEO Cary E. Vaughn explains.
After a year on Pray.com, Love Worth Finding is seeing growing use among the platform’s 10 million subscribers and looks forward to reaching more new audiences with its messages of timeless truth delivered via digital means, on-demand as well as on Pray Radio. The relationship came about through Lewis’ meeting Pray.com founder Matthew Potter at a Christian leadership conference last year.
“I was so impressed with Bobby’s and the entire ministry’s commitment to sharing Pastor Rogers’ teachings with as many people as possible, and so we at Pray.com wanted to do what we could to help them accomplish that mission,” Potter said. “I know our audiences really appreciate the program’s biblical truth made plain – immediately understandable to common, everyday people. We look forward to continuing to provide such relevant and encouraging content to our growing audiences.”
In addition to Love Worth Finding, Pray.com includes teaching and preaching programs from leading Christian pastors and speakers, along with meditative and reflective prayer and Bible-based resources to aid listeners wherever they may be in their spiritual growth journeys. Find Love Worth Finding and other prayer and faith-based audio content at www.pray.com/discover.
About Pray.com
Founded in 2016 with a mission to grow faith and cultivate community, Pray.com is the world’s No. 1 app for daily prayer and Bible-based audio content. Reaching more than 10 million people worldwide through its mobile app and website, Pray.com is the easiest way to incorporate prayer into your daily life. Pray.com provides encouragement and inspiration through daily devotionals, Pastor podcasts, and Bedtime Bible Stories. Pray.com founders are Steve Gatena, Mike Lynn, Ryan Beck and Matthew Potter. See more at www.alarryross.com/pray-com.
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Pray.com Provides Encouragement for Veterans this Memorial Day Weekend, Featuring the Victor Marx Podcast on this Week’s ‘Sunday Service’
LOS ANGELES, May 26, 2022 – Hoping to provide some extra encouragement and inspiration for Veterans and active duty military this Memorial Day Weekend, especially those who may be dealing with PTSD and other mental health issues, Pray.com will feature the Victor Marx Podcast on its weekly “Sunday Service” feature. The program highlights Marx’s own military service as he shares wisdom he’s gained finding triumph over trauma.
In addition, Pray.com recently launched “The Armor of God” podcast series featuring real-life stories by American veterans who exemplify the glory of God. This new series presents the true heart of these military heroes who so proudly wear the spiritual protection that is provided to them, known as The Armor of God, found in Ephesians chapter 6.
In his podcast, Marx – a Marine Corps Veteran – challenges his audiences to maintain and build spiritual health. He believes in the importance of the faith community in the military and mixes humor with raw reality stories of survival and redemption to encourage a resilient lifestyle. He and his wife Eileen serve veterans and military personnel, women and children in the Middle East who have encountered debilitating trauma, and promote healthy, Christ-filled marriages and families. As such, his podcast tackles hard truths, stories of redemption and the latest from the frontlines.
“What excites me about being on Pray.com is that I know I’m reaching a wide audience with messages of hope and redemption – whether they have had any exposure to faith before or not,” Marx said. “I know when I direct listeners to find my podcast on Pray.com that it’s the single best platform or app where they can get fed and be encouraged, wherever they are coming from in life.”
“My life was turned around just from hearing other peoples’ stories, so that’s what I try to share on my podcast,” Marx continued. “Our guests – who range from war heroes to actors to fellow humanitarians – share authentically about their own journeys, and we never force discussions about faith. I think that’s what makes our podcast different from others you might hear on faith-based platforms, and I appreciate Pray.com giving us the opportunity to do that.”
Severely abused and tortured as a child, by the time Marx graduated from high school, his lifestyle was filled with drugs, fights and theft. The discipline of military life and faith in God helped him recover from his traumatic childhood and empowers him to help others. Today, he focuses his attention to the plights of those affected by ISIS, troubled juvenile offenders, and supporting military personnel from all branches including the special operations community. Since leaving the military, Marx has done more dangerous missions now as a high-risk humanitarian, and is preparing for his 17th trip to the Middle East region to continue his humanitarian work as an advocate for children and youth.
“We love having Victor’s podcast on the Pray.com platform as it’s a very unique program that reaches a broad audience,” Pray.com founder Matthew Potter said. ”His stories are compelling, he’s vulnerable about his own trauma and recovery, and therefore is a great help to listeners who may be struggling with some of their own PTSD or mental health issues.”
In addition to the Victor Marx podcast, Pray.com includes many meditative and reflective prayer and Bible-based resources to aid with mental health, along with audio teaching from Marx and other leaders regarding what has been helpful to them during their struggles. Find the Victor Marx Podcast and other prayer and faith-based audio content at www.pray.com/discover.
About Pray.com
Founded in 2016 with a mission to grow faith and cultivate community, Pray.com is the world’s No. 1 app for daily prayer and Bible-based audio content. It recently launched PRAY TEAM, the first community for Christians in Crypto, involving leaders who can teach members about the future of finance, Web3, and how NFTs are changing the world. Reaching more than 10 million people worldwide through its mobile app and website, Pray.com is the easiest way to incorporate prayer into your daily life. Pray.com provides encouragement and inspiration through daily devotionals, Pastor podcasts, and Bedtime Bible Stories. Pray.com founders are Steve Gatena, Mike Lynn, Ryan Beck and Matthew Potter. See more at www.alarryross.com/pray-com.
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Media Contact:
Melany Ethridge
melany@alarryross.com
214-912-8934