As the new year unfolds, two familiar Hollywood faces are offering something deeper than diet tips or gym challenges. Chris Pratt and Patricia Heaton are encouraging their followers to join them in a 21-day “Daniel Fast” prayer challenge — a spiritual practice rooted in Scripture that’s especially fitting for January, a month when many people seek renewal and intentionality.
The prayer challenge, hosted through the Catholic prayer and meditation app Hallow, invites participants to fast not only from certain foods but also from habits that may be distracting them from a closer relationship with God.
It’s a beautiful reminder that a fresh year isn’t just about resolutions — it can also be about reorientation toward what truly matters.
A fast with purpose
Pratt, known for his roles in major film franchises, explained the heart behind the challenge in his social media invitation. He highlighted the Book of Daniel as a story of conviction and letting go of what holds us back: “The Book of Daniel is a story of radical faith, courage, and learning to give up the things in our lives that are holding us back” — and that, he said, is exactly what the 21-day fast is about.
“That is what this 21-day challenge is about,” Pratt added. “I know you have something in your life that you need to give up, and I want you to join me on this 21-day challenge on Hallow … it’s going to be great.”
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January has long been a traditional time for spiritual focus. In many Christian traditions, it’s a moment to reflect after the Christmas season, to quiet the noise of the world, and to open one’s heart more fully to God’s guidance.
A Daniel Fast — inspired by a biblical figure who chose faith and simplicity in the midst of challenge — offers exactly that: clarity, purpose, and space to encounter God anew.
Fasting beyond food
Patricia Heaton, beloved for her long career in television and a well-known Catholic voice in Hollywood, offered a broader, beautifully human invitation. She suggested that participants could choose to fast from more than just food: time spent on phones, unnecessary purchases, or even “the unkind words we speak to others,” she said, describing fasting as something that goes to the heart of how we live fully as God desires.
Heaton also shared a rich reflection from the tradition, describing fasting as something that shapes the soul and the body:
“Fasting gives birth to prophets and strengthens the powerful; fasting makes lawgivers wise. Fasting is a good safeguard for the soul, a steadfast companion for the body, a weapon for the valiant, and a gymnasium for athletes. Fasting repels temptations, anoints unto piety; it is the comrade of watchfulness and the artificer of chastity…”
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It’s a reminder that when Scripture speaks of fasting, it’s not merely about what we eat. It’s about turning the whole self — heart, body, mind, and will — toward God.
A shared journey
The challenge also includes contributions from other voices, such as author Jeff Cavins and The Chosen actor Jonathan Roumie, who shared that fasting might mean giving up an indulgence, or working toward better physical and spiritual health as a way of drawing closer to God.
For followers in the new year, these invitations from well-known figures serve as a reminder: spiritual growth isn’t reserved for liturgical seasons alone — it can be woven into the rhythms of everyday life. January, with its fresh energy and collective sense of new beginnings, may be the perfect time to step back, simplify, and seek a deeper connection with God.
Whether you choose to participate in a Daniel Fast or simply pause to pray more intentionally, the call — echoed from Hollywood to homes across the world — is the same: let go of what holds you back, and open your heart to the movement of grace in 2026.
