{"id":40,"date":"2024-12-12T11:03:11","date_gmt":"2024-12-12T16:03:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/spotlightstories\/?p=40"},"modified":"2024-12-12T11:03:11","modified_gmt":"2024-12-12T16:03:11","slug":"gwen-stefani-encourages-christians-to-pray-this-christmas-god-so-loved-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/spotlightstories\/2024\/12\/gwen-stefani-encourages-christians-to-pray-this-christmas-god-so-loved-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Gwen Stefani Encourages Christians to Pray This Christmas: ‘God So Loved the World’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Hallow \/ Facebook<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This Christmas season, singer Gwen Stefani is urging Christians to pause, reflect, and pray, reminding them of the profound biblical truth at the heart of the holiday: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.”<\/p>\n

In a heartfelt video message shared on X, the 55-year-old No Doubt frontwoman announced her partnership with the popular Catholic prayer app Hallow<\/strong> for its annual Pray25 Challenge. Themed “For God So Loved the World,” the 15-day initiative invites participants to meditate on the meaning of John 3:16, reorienting their hearts toward the true essence of Christmas.<\/p>\n

“This season has always been my favorite time of the year,” Stefani said. “It’s a season that we get to celebrate the birth of our Lord. This year, I’m excited to share that I’ve partnered with this amazing prayer, meditation, and music app called Hallow on their Advent Pray25 Challenge. Join me and millions of other Christians around the world as we celebrate together the truth that God so loved the world that He gave us His only Son.”<\/p>\n

Stefani, who was raised Catholic, has been open about how her faith shapes her life, including her marriage to country star Blake Shelton. Shelton once shared that Stefani’s relationship with God is central to everything she does.<\/p>\n

“If Gwen were sitting here right now, she would say God is first, and then everything else. That’s number one in her life and has been her whole life,” Shelton remarked in 2022. “She doesn’t beat you over the head with it. That’s her relationship.”<\/p>\n

The Pray25 Challenge doesn’t stop with Stefani. Other notable Christian figures, including The Chosen<\/em> star Jonathan Roumie<\/strong>, singer-songwriters Lauren Daigle<\/strong> and Matt Maher<\/strong>, and pastor Francis Chan<\/strong>, have also joined the effort. Together, they offer reflections, prayers, and music to enrich participants’ spiritual journey during Advent.<\/p>\n

Roumie, who plays Jesus in The Chosen<\/em>, spoke passionately about the significance of Advent in a recent interview. “The epitome of what all of us as Christians believe is that God came to Earth in the form of a baby […] that would grow up to be a man who saved humanity by reconciling us back to God, the Father,” Roumie explained.<\/p>\n

He also highlighted how consumerism has overshadowed the spiritual depth of Christmas. “Christmas is about the arrival of the Savior of the world and the humility in which He arrived \u2014 in a stable, born to two Jewish peasants in a backwater town in Israel,” Roumie said. “That can’t be lost on us.”<\/p>\n

Stefani’s involvement with Hallow reflects her ongoing commitment to making faith accessible and impactful. With her music and platform, she encourages Christians to focus on the true meaning of the season: celebrating the birth of Christ, God’s greatest gift to the world.<\/p>\n

This Advent season, Christians are invited to join Stefani and others in rediscovering the heart of Christmas \u2014 through prayer, reflection, and a renewed sense of gratitude for God’s love. As Stefani reminds us, “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This Christmas season, singer Gwen Stefani is urging Christians to pause, reflect, and pray, reminding them of the profound biblical truth at the heart of the holiday: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.” In a heartfelt video message shared on X, the 55-year-old No Doubt frontwoman announced her partnership…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":627,"featured_media":16,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrities","category-christmas"],"yoast_head":"\nGwen Stefani Encourages Christians to Pray This Christmas: 'God So Loved the World'<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta 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