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Pray.com

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pray.com
IndustryFaith-based media and technology
Founded2016; 10 years ago (2016)
FoundersSteve Gatena, Michael Lynn, Ryan Beck, and Matthew Potter
Websitepray.com

Pray.com is a Christian social networking service and mobile application designed to facilitate religious communities. Launched in 2016, it was founded by Steve Gatena, Michael Lynn, Ryan Beck and Matthew Potter.[1] The platform offers features for social networking, daily prayers, sermons, biblical content, and podcasts.[2]

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased Pray.com's user base, with downloads surging by 955%.[3][4][5][6] During this period, the platform collaborated with churches to support virtual ministry services as in-person gatherings were restricted.[6] The Federal Election Commission issued an opinion in 2021 that allows the platform to feature members of the United States Congress.[7]. In 2020, the company suffered a major security incident exposing sensitive data of millions of users.[8]

Pray.com serves as a specialized social media platform for religious groups.[9] Congregations can establish their own groups where members and leaders can participate in discussions, livestream services, and manage donations.[4] Additionally, users can join "prayer communities" to post and respond to prayer requests.[5] For those who subscribe to premium services, the platform provides access to biblically-inspired meditations and bedtime stories, and Bible stories for children.[10][9][11] Pray.com also produces Radio drama-style productions with notable actors such as Kristen Bell and Blair Underwood narrating biblical stories.[5]

History

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Funding and development

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Pray.com has 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.[12] This was followed by a Series A funding round in March 2018, in which the company secured an additional $14 million from TPG Growth, Science Inc., and Greylock Partners.[13] Founder Steve Gatena has highlighted difficulties in securing funding, noting some venture capitalists' negative attitudes towards faith-based technology.[6]

National Day of Prayer

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Pray first hosted a National Day of Prayer event in 2020 when it streamed to nearly one million viewers on Facebook.[4][14] In 2021, Pray hosted a virtual event for the National Day of Prayer in the United States.[15] The event featured remarks from public figures including 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.[14][16][17] Other notable speakers included Ronnie Floyd, Ed Young, Mark Driscoll, and Samuel Rodriguez.[14] Pray.com partnered with SiriusXM, DirecTV and Facebook to stream the event across multiple platforms.[18] Pray.com was featured as a pop-up channel on SiriusXM, channel 154, to host the prayer event and celebrate people of all faith.[19]

Partnerships and sponsorships

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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.[20][21]

A partnership with Palantir Technologies for use of its AI systems was also announced in 2024. [22]

Personal data

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In 2020, the app inadvertently exposed sensitive personal data of up to 10 million users as a result of unsecured cloud databases that were stored on Amazon Web Services. [23] In 2022, an investigation from Buzzfeed accused the app of not properly disclosing that they sell private data from users to third-party data brokers for commercial purposes.[24]

Censorship in China

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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.[25] The app was targeted due to China's stringent regulations on religious material, particularly content distributed through digital platforms.[25] The removal aligns with China's ongoing campaign to control online religious expression and maintain state-approved religious activities.[25][26]

AI content

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Pray.com began using artificial intelligence to generate imagery in the 2020s. In 2025 they launched the AI Bible YouTube channel, with some videos having millions of view. The videos received mixed reviews from theology scholars with Brad East stating that they had a "Marvel aesthetic in all the worst ways" while Paul Hoffman stated he was "always a fan of anything that drives interest ... in the Bible".[27]

References

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  1. ↑ "Pray.com offers social network for prayer, community-building". Catholic Courier. Catholic News Service. April 24, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  2. ↑ Wellness, Daily Cup of (2021-05-17). "How Prayer Helps Your Mental Health". Daily Cup of Wellness. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
  3. ↑ Heilweil, Rebecca (March 27, 2020). "This social network for churches is thriving in the coronavirus pandemic". Vox. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 Cutchin, James (April 13, 2020). "Pray.com Answers Call for the Digital Faithful". Los Angeles Business Journal. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 Davalos, Jacqueline (October 11, 2020). "Venture Funders Flock to Religious Apps as Churches Go Online". Bloomberg News. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 "Venture Funders Flock to Religious Apps as Churches Go Online". Bloomberg.com. 11 October 2020. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
  7. ↑ "FEC OKs Members of Congress Appearing in Online Commercial Content". JD Supra. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
  8. ↑ "Christian Faith App Pray.com Leaks Personal Details of Up to 10M Users". PC Mag. Retrieved 2026-06-29.
  9. 1 2 Heilweil, Rebecca (March 27, 2020). "This social network for churches is thriving in the coronavirus pandemic". Vox. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  10. ↑ Abdollah, Tami (April 1, 2020). "Online Prayer Platforms Are Booming In the COVID-19 Era — and VCs are Getting Religion". dot.LA. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  11. ↑ McFarlan Miller, Emily (April 15, 2020). "There's an app for that: Christian mindfulness, meditation apps find their moment". Religion News Service. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  12. ↑ Shu, Catherine (June 29, 2017). "Pray.com, a community-building app for faith organizations, raises $2M in seed funding". TechCrunch. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  13. ↑ Shu, Catherine (March 14, 2018). "Interfaith social network Pray.com raises $14M Series A to add new features to its mobile app". TechCrunch. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  14. 1 2 3 "WATCH: Joe Biden and Mike Pence take part in virtual National Day of Prayer event". www.audacy.com. 2021-05-06. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
  15. 1 2 3 Funke, Daniel. "Fact check: Biden administration didn't 'reject' National Day of Prayer". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
  16. 1 2 TEAM, PUSH. "Gary Valenciano invited to perform at National Day of Prayer in the US". Push. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
  17. ↑ GMA (2021-05-03). "Lecrae, Heather Headley, Nona Jones Join Pray.com National Day of Prayer Online May 6". The Gospel Music Association. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
  18. ↑ "Nat'l Day of Prayer to focus on praying for nation's physical, mental and spiritual health: Pray.com co-founder". The Christian Post. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
  19. ↑ "Pray.com Added As Limited-Run SiriusXM Channel 154". All Access. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
  20. ↑ "Pray.com To Serve as Primary Sponsor of Robb's 2024 Car". IndyCar.com. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  21. ↑ "Pray.com a team effort working to 'impact the world in a big way' | The Alabama Baptist". thealabamabaptist.org. 2024-04-21. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  22. ↑ "Palantir IR". Palantir IR. Retrieved 2026-05-16.
  23. ↑ "Christian Faith App Pray.com Leaks Personal Details of Up to 10M Users". PC Mag. Retrieved 2026-06-29.
  24. ↑ "Nothing Sacred: These Apps Reserve The Right To Sell Your Prayers". Buzzfeed. Retrieved 2026-06-29.
  25. 1 2 3 Kumar, Anugrah (2024-02-24). "Pray.com removed from Apple App Store in China, restricting access to content". www.christianpost.com. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  26. ↑ "China bans Pray.com app - UPI.com". UPI. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
  27. ↑ "Fantasy or faith? One company's AI-generated Bible content stirs controversy". NPR. Retrieved 2026-06-29.
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