Do you use a prayer app on your smartphone?
The Prayer Notebook app is my favorite.
How about Bible reading?
My current favorite is Bible Bloom.
Do you ever find these tools to be more distracting than helpful?
Please, don’t get me wrong.
These apps are great!
My only fear is that Bible study and prayer can easily be interrupted by notifications, text messages and phone calls.
Maybe we should try ‘powering-down’ more often.
Maybe we should all spend a little time ‘going dark.’
Maybe we should try to minimize our distractions more.
There is something pure and natural about ‘unhooking’ and going ‘organic’ with God.
Like I said, I love these apps. They’re great. And I understand that just like an iPhone, a printed Bible, pencil and notebook are pieces of technology.
My only fear is that our world becomes so inundated with noise and signals, that the still quiet voice of God gets lost in the mix.
Thoughts?
[Image via Rachel Titiriga]
Marcus Williamson says
Organic indeed dude. I’m with you on that one. Unless I have a plan going on, I try my best to read from my book instead of iPhone.
That’s me.
I totally agree that the apps are ball’n for sure, but there’s something about the feel of paper.
Back in the day I use to draw like a mad man. Then I found the Adobe Suite. After while I stopped drawing as much. Nothing bad because I was technically still “drawing,” or rather creating. Now that I’m slowly getting back to drawing, it’s been real healthy. I’m not stopping the Adobe stuff, I’m just trying to have a healthier balance of what God’s gifted me with.
All that to say, a healthy balance of both is a solid option. When you don’t have the paper around, then the iPhone is right there of course, but if you have the paper then why not ya know.
Two Cents
Eric Dye says
Good cents.
Thanks for sharing, Marcus, that sounds like a cool blog post, btw. 😉
Chuck McKnight says
There’s always airplane mode. 😉
Eric Dye says
NICE!
James Cooper says
Thought provoking stuff Eric!
I often use YouVersion or Glo and I’m using a reading plan on YV at the moment. However, recently I’ve found myself picking up my fav hard copy red-letter NLT recently.
I’ve got a prayer reminder list in Wunderlist.
For devotionals I use email. I’m on the list for: http://www.ucb.co.uk/word_for_today (can also get it in hard copy and compilation books – very good – search for Bob Gass’ on amazon!)
As something a bit different I’m also doing: http://www.flocknote.com/catechism (started last week) I’m not a Catholic but this is really interesting.
Eric Dye says
Solid stuff, James. I really like the idea of adding a prayer list in Wunderlist, that way it’s always ‘looking’ at you — 😀
Jesse Freeman says
If you have an iPhone, IO6 added new privacy features that are great to set for study time. It will deactivate all notifications for a certain amount of time, but you can also add exemptions in case you want to allow certain people in case of an emergency.
I can still find myself wandering though with the iPhone in hand to other apps, so if you’re easily distracted, it’s probably best to just stick with paper.
Eric Dye says
Great tip–thanks Jesse!