Talk:Pray.com
Add topic | This article is rated Start-class on Wikipedia's content assessment scale. It is of interest to the following WikiProjects: | |||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
.svg){kind=icon}
 | The Wikimedia Foundation's Terms of Use require that editors disclose their "employer, client, and affiliation" with respect to any paid contribution; see WP:PAID. For advice about reviewing paid contributions, see WP:COIRESPONSE.
|
COI request to add infobox
[edit] | This edit request by an editor with a conflict of interest has now been answered. |
Hello, I'm a Pray.com employee operating as the company's representative on Wikipedia. I was wondering if it might be possible to add an infobox to this article. I've mocked one up, complete with a wordmark logo that I recently uploaded to Wikimedia Commons.
 | |
| Industry | Faith-based media and technology |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Steve Gatena, Michael Lynn, Ryan Beck, and Matthew Potter |
| Website | pray |
If an independent editor could take a look, I would much appreciate it. Thanks! JR at Pray (talk) 19:49, 12 February 2026 (UTC)
COI request for article rewrite
[edit] | This edit request by an editor with a conflict of interest was declined. Some or all of the changes may be promotional in tone. |
Hello, I've written a new draft for this article that I think improves it in a number of ways. I have kept nearly all the existing content intact, improving sourcing where possible. My draft also:
- Revises and shortens the introduction a bit, relocating some of its content into the body of the article
- Creates/relocates a few sections, so that not all non-introduction content is under the History heading
- Adds several new passages to the History about the company's growth and evolution
- Adds a passage about Pray's AI Bible, which is probably the most significant product we've launched in the past few years
- Adds a few brief passages about notable partnerships with celebrities and the Trump White House
Below is the entire article draft. I'm completely open to working with editors on this piece-by-piece, but since my draft does contains significant reorganization of the existing article, I thought it would be a good idea to propose everything at once, so that the community can see the totality of what I'm trying to accomplish:
Full article draft |
|---|
|
Pray.com is a faith-based media and technology platform offering mobile applications, podcasts, and digital content. Launched in 2016, it was founded by Steve Gatena, Michael Lynn, Ryan Beck, and Matthew Potter. The platform provides daily prayers, sermons, biblical content, and audio programming featuring prominent religious leaders. Pray.com has received recognition from two presidential administrations. In 2021, President Joe Biden provided a video message for the company's National Day of Prayer event. In 2025, the Trump administration recognized Pray.com as an official partner in the White House's America Prays initiative. In 2023, Pray.com launched its AI Bible, an AI-generated biblical content platform that accumulated over 2 million followers across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok by 2025. Pray.com has partneredd with religious figures including T.D. Jakes, Jack Graham, and Tony Evans. As of September 2025, the Pray.com app has been downloaded more than 25 million times. History
Pray.com was founded in 2016 by Steve Gatena, Michael Lynn, Ryan Beck, and Matthew Potter.[1] It secured significant funding to support its development and growth. In 2017, the platform raised $2 million in seed funding from Science Inc., Greylock Partners, and Spark Capital.[2] That same year, it participated in the Laudato Si’ Fellowship, a start-up accelerator program held in Rome and advised by Cardinal Peter Turkson.[2] A Series A funding round held in March 2018 raised an additional $14 million from TPG Growth, Science Inc., and Greylock Partners.[3] Founder Steve Gatena has noted that early fundraising efforts were complicated due to some venture capitalists' negative attitudes towards faith-based technology.[4] The COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased Pray.com's user base, with downloads surging by 955%.[5][6] During this period, the platform collaborated with churches to support virtual ministry services as in-person gatherings were restricted.[4] In 2021, the Federal Election Commission issued an opinion allowing Pray.com to feature members of the United States Congress.[7] In 2023, Pray.com ranked 116th in Inc. Magazine's list of fastest-growing companies.[8] As of 2024, the Pray.com app had 16 million users[9] and by September 2025, it had been downloaded 25 million times.[10] In May 2025, Pray.com co-founder Steve Gatena was honored by the Los Angeles Times as one of the L.A. business community's outstanding small business founders.[11] In December 2025, Rep. Sheri Biggs composed a letter to U.S. secretary of veterans affairs Doug Collins urging the agency to make faith-based mental health resources such as Pray.com available to recovering veterans. Biggs's letter was co-signed by more than a dozen of her congressional colleagues.[12] National Day of Prayer
Pray first hosted a National Day of Prayer event in 2020 when it streamed to nearly one million viewers on Facebook.[6][13] It featured faith leaders such as Tony Evans, Jack Graham, and Franklin Graham as well as senators Marco Rubio and Tim Scott.[14] In 2021, Pray hosted a virtual event for the National Day of Prayer in the United States.[15] The event featured remarks from United States President Joe Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence.[15] President Biden spoke of his faith and prayed for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden remarked: "It means the world to me to know that there are people across the country who include Jill and me in their prayers. And I hope you know that you and your families are in our prayers as well. Today I am praying for the end of this great COVID crisis."[15][16] The event featured musical performances from Gary Valenciano, Brooke Ligertwood from the Christian band Hillsong Worship, Lecrae, Heather Headley and Michael Neale.[13][16][17] Other notable speakers included Ronnie Floyd, Ed Young (pastor), Mark Driscoll, and Samuel Rodriguez.[13] Pray.com partnered with Sirius XM, DirecTV and Facebook to stream the event across multiple platforms.[18] Pray.com was featured as a pop-up channel on Sirius XM, channel 154, to host the prayer event and celebrate people of all faith.[19] Platform
Pray.com serves as a specialized social media platform for religious groups.[20] Congregations can establish their own groups where members and leaders can participate in discussions, livestream services, and manage donations.[6] Additionally, users can join "prayer communities" to post and respond to prayer requests.[21] For those who subscribe to premium services, the platform provides access to biblically-inspired meditations and bedtime stories, and Bible stories for children.[22][23][24] Pray.com also produces Radio drama-style productions with notable actors such as Kristen Bell and Blair Underwood narrating biblical stories.[21] In 2024, Pray launched the AI Bible, a compendium of AI-generated videos illustrating various Bible stories. Pray uses several AI tools, including ChatGPT, to create these videos. As of September 2025, the AI Bible had over two million followers across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, with some of its videos receiving millions of views.[25][26] The AI Bible has generated theological debate among scholars, some of whom have criticized it as reducing biblical material to entertainment. Supporters of the AI Bible have claimed that it is consistent with evangelical traditions of using new methods of storytelling in order to help people engage with scripture.[25] Partnerships and sponsorships
In 2021, it was announced that Drew Brees would be producing a series of motivational prayers and bedtime Bible stories for the Pray.com app.[27] The company has also partnered with T.D. Jakes, Dr. Phil McGraw, and the estate of James Earl Jones to produce content for its app.[28] In 2023, Pray.com announced a partnership with iHeartMedia to produce and distribute faith-based podcasts.[29] In 2024, Pray.com partnered with Sting Ray Robb as the primary sponsor for his No. 41 Chevrolet in the 2024 NTT INDYCAR Series. The partnership, highlighting Robb's Christian faith, aims to engage younger audiences with faith-based content. The car, featuring Pray.com's branding, was set to debut at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.[30][31] In September 2025, the White House announced that Pray.com would be participating in the Trump administration's America Prays initiative.[32] Censorship in China
The app was removed from Apple's App Store in China as part of the country's broader efforts to restrict access to religious content.[9] The app was targeted due to China's stringent regulations on religious material, particularly content distributed through digital platforms.[9] The removal aligns with China's ongoing campaign to control online religious expression and maintain state-approved religious activities.[9][33] Clinical studies
There have been clinical studies on Pray.com. In one study, the app was found to be acceptable and easy to use among racial and ethnic minority groups, with participants reporting improved mental health and well-being.[34] Greater app use was associated with better outcomes, though low and variable usage suggests the need for further research to fully understand its impact.[34] Another study examined Pray.com's impact on mental health by assigning 192 participants to use the app freely, use its meditative prayer function, or not use it at all.[35] Over two months, participants reported overall improvements in mental health and well-being. Although no significant differences were found between groups, greater app usage correlated with better mental health outcomes. This suggests that religiously based mobile apps may help improve mental health and well-being.[35] Another study of pray.com had similar findings.[36] References
|
Thanks in advance to any editors who take the time to review this draft! JR at Pray (talk) 17:34, 23 April 2026 (UTC)
Not done: A majority of the requested changes are currently written in a promotional tone. Please review WP:Neutral point of view and ensure you follow this before submitting any edit requests. 🄻🄰 13:18, 16 July 2026 (UTC)
