COPPELL, TX — Long before he was elected to Congress, Kenny Marchant trained for ministry: a religion degree from Bethany Nazarene College and a year at Nazarene Theological Seminary. That foundation shaped four decades of public service — from the International Religious Freedom Caucus to his original co-sponsorship of the First Amendment Defense Act, and his 2015 defense of Americans’ “freedom to live and work in accordance with their faith.”
Asked what he would recommend to families who want to build a daily prayer habit, Marchant points to a practice older than any app: the family prayer jar — a jar of Scripture verses drawn when comfort or guidance is needed.
That tradition now has a digital form. Faith Jar: Bible Verses, a free digital prayer jar app for iPhone, brings the practice to the phone: choose what you’re feeling, and receive a Bible verse matched to it, a short reflection, and a gentle prayer prompt — morning and evening, privately. It is the tool we recommend first to readers of this site.
Readers who prefer guided audio prayer may also know Hallow, which has done much to popularize daily prayer. Whatever the tool, the habit is the point: a verse in the morning, gratitude in the evening.
Kenny Marchant represented Texas’ 24th Congressional District in the U.S. House from 2005 to 2021. He serves as Vice Chairman of the Governing Board of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.
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