Why I Don’t Use Digital Devices For My Devotional Time
I’m a tech geek. It is what it is. I love technology and follow technology blogs, and this blog itself seeks to touch upon the intersection of church, leadership, and technology. But there’s one area in which I don’t allow technology to get too close: my devotional time with God. It hasn’t always been this way. In the past, I’ve experimented with following a Bible reading plan from my iPhone, or reading the Bible from my computer, and even memorizing Scripture from my iPhone, but I’ve left those behind. Why? Because I’ve noticed that the temptation is too great to do other stuff during that time.
If I pick up my iPhone to read the Bible it’s too easy to read some emails or check out some tweets. And it just takes one really-important-sounding email to derail me and get me sucked into “work mode.” So, I decided I’m not going to do it. I prepare myself a cup of soy milk with Roma (don’t knock it till you try it!), I grab my Bible with real pages, and I sit.
And read.
And spend time with God.
In silence.
No dings and no alerts means no distractions. And that works for me.
What about you? What works for you?
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i use it, partially… i always begin reading one chapter of whatever book i am in the Bible… this first step is just Bible and prayer… after i’m done reading that chapter… (i take a while in this step one), i open my computer to logos and accordance where i keep my commentaries and language tools. in this second step i try to go deep into the text and understand it as much as i can… i have not been doing this for long, probably around 6 months, but i can tell you that it has been a blessing in my life.
faith. hope. love.
Tiago Arrais recently posted..o "desaparecimento" do espírito
The computer and phone are a distraction to me as well. I avoid them during devotional time. I’m engage with tech most of the day and I welcome this break time with God.
Me too. Big time…
Hey Tiago! For sure this is great to dig in deeper. And all the best to you in this system. I just found that the moment I crack open my laptop it’s just about over–I start seeing emails or will want to check out some news or something. But good for you if you have the discipline to avoid all that while checking out your commentaries.
I need to do this, thanks for the encouragement.
So glad!
I use a real Bible and my digital Bible, as well as my Spirit of Prophecy CD. I concentrate on the real Bible first and when I find something special I copy and paste out of the digital into Facebook. I want to share the special things that God reveals to me. I have had many responses from around the world where people have been touched by what God has also revealed to them.
Keep on sharing, Ian. It’s awesome that you share useful stuff via Facebook.
I like using my iPad for my devotional time because there I have everything at my finger tips: Bible, EGW, SS lesson, hymnal, etc. I like that I can use it in the dark if my husband is still asleep. Yes, there is a temptation to read email or check feeds however, I think that temptation would still be there for me if I went to books. Thanks for this post. I see need a check up.
The most important place to have His word is not on pages or on a screen but in the heart, right?
You got it, Jenna! Yeah, one medium is certainly not more holy than the other. Just whatever works for each person.
I understand the stated temptation and problem, and I empathize with those who keep it away. I do use technology in my prayer time with God. Often times, it is when I am praying that God reveals to me how I should counsel a particular person or exactly what I should say to them and if it’s not very long I will stop and email that person the revelation and or counsel I received from God. To me this is the very praxis of prayer. Yes I am sometimes tempted to go other places when I am sending these emails but I am aware of the danger and act accordingly, motivated to do based on the fact that God just spoke to me and that is usually a million times more fascinating than something of interest.
I am open for advice or counsel in this matter though.
The reason I send off the emails or the messages during prayer is because I am usually in prayer for about three hours or more when I wake up in the mornings and I would neglect or forget to pass on the counsel or solutions God gives to me in prayer to those who needed it.
Thanks for the article, I appreciate it very much because the enemy of souls would erelong destroy us if we let him….even by the very aid we use to seek God.
That’s great, Winston. Keep it up!
Sounds like a good idea to revisit.