Jen Lilley Says Her Mission Is to Help Others ‘Encounter Jesus’
Michael Foust
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By Michael Foust, Crosswalk.com
Jen Lilley doesn’t tiptoe around conversations about faith.
In fact, the actress who is known for her roles on Great American Family, the Hallmark Channel, and Days of Our Lives says she sometimes asks God in candid prayer whether she’s being too forward.
“I relate to Elijah the most in the Bible, and he was pretty bold,” she says, laughing. “So I'm like, ‘Do you need me to be more like an Esther? If so, could You just put a muzzle on my mouth, Lord? – because I'm not very good at being covert.’”
Faith is central to Jen Lilley’s latest project – a 365-day devotional titled Wake Up Your Faith (BroadStreet) – which she hopes will help readers experience the presence of Christ like never before. The book comes as she promotes a new holiday film, A Chrismystery, and works on Jimmy, a biopic about Hollywood legend Jimmy Stewart.
“I’ve always been pretty bold,” Lilley told Crosswalk Headlines. “My nickname in elementary school and high school was Jen for Jesus.”
Lilley starred in Days of Our Lives from 2013 to 2023 and has become a staple in family-friendly romantic comedies and holiday movies, including Paris Christmas Waltz (2023), Royally Wrapped for Christmas (2021), and The Spirit of Christmas (2015).
Yet in the midst of her success as a well-known actress, she’s remained grounded in her faith.
Wake Up Your Faith was born out of a conversation with a BroadStreet Publishing representative who told Lilley she should consider writing a devotional to inspire believers.
“After a lot of prayer and fasting, I did feel like that was the Lord,” Lilley said.
The devotional’s title was inspired by a well-known verse from the book of James.
“And James says: Faith without works is dead. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
“Doing faith in action is just a byproduct of loving the Lord. If you really love the Lord, then you are His hands and feet. You are a righteous tree. You are going to produce the fruit of the Spirit, because it's a natural byproduct of being a righteous tree.”
Each month is centered on a theme. January, for example, spotlights the necessity of surrendering one’s life to Jesus.
“God doesn't want you to just be a person in the crowd hearing His sermon,” Lilley said. “He actually wants us to be a disciple. And you can't actually walk closely with Jesus if you're not willing to die to yourself daily and let Him take over.”
Lilley says she wants the devotional to move people to action. It’s already resonating with readers, soaring to No. 1 on Amazon’s list of Christian self-help.
“I really want to equip people to actually encounter Jesus.”
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Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
