Mark Wahlberg got into trouble in his youth. He often skipped school and had run-ins with police. At the age of 16, he robbed a convenience store, resulting in a conviction of assault and theft. But it was that time in jail that prompted Wahlberg to make a change by turning his attention to his faith:

I had to make the choice personally, and then I had to focus on my faith, and my faith has allowed me to overcome a lot of things. You know, nothing comes easy especially when you’ve got … a lot going against you. But I wanted to prove to people through my actions … that I was going to change.

Once Wahlberg made the decision to submit to God, everything changed. But even after becoming a Hollywood success, God has remained at the center of his life:

Once I focused on my faith, wonderful things started happening for me. And I don’t mean professionally. For me to sit down and ask for material things is ridiculous. It’s a much bigger picture than that. I want to serve God and to be a good human being and to make up for the mistakes I made and the pain I put people through. That’s what I’m praying for, and I recommend it to anybody.

What I do every day is pray for the strength to be a good servant, father and husband. I ask for the ability to raise my kids, to teach and protect them, and to be disciplined and firm and loving and nurturing. It can be a fine line, so I ask God for the strength to not lose my patience with my children.

Anything that’s good in my life is because of my faith. A lot of people get in trouble, go to jail and find God, and the minute they don’t need God anymore, they’re gone. But I spend a good portion of my day thanking God for all the blessings that have been bestowed on me. If it all ended today, I’d be happy. I’ve had such an amazing journey.