I've been using the Bible app for a few years now. When my husband first told me about it and downloaded it on my phone, I didn't think much of it and hardly ever used it. (Typical of me for all new things) I'm more of a "traditional" kinda girl, I had a paper Bible that I've used since I was a child and I felt like if I start using the app I'd be betraying my paper Bible haha. Anyone else feel like that?? But the day came when my paper bible fell apart, my dear husband bought me a new Bible but it just wasn't the same. All of a sudden I had a hard time reading, being consistent and felt like I didn't get much out of my reading time. That lasted for some time.
After I had my twins (in Hawaii 2013) I all of a sudden had such a strong desire to read the Bible. I read and read and read and couldn't get enough of it. I usually read when I was nursing and having to hold two babies and a bible wasn't easy, as well as trying to read in the evenings or while nursing at night and not having the light on. So I started using the Bible app and haven't stopped since!
What I love about the Bible app is that it's on my phone and my phone is usually (usually lol) with me wherever I go. I also like that I can read it without the light having to be on, it's very handy when reading to the kids after tucking them in. Within the app you can highlight verses that stand out to you and always go back to them, you can make notes and images. There are devotionals or reading plans you can do on there (a few of them I personally have on repeat. I finish it and re start it all over again just to continue reminding myself of certain truths) , there are many topics to choose from; marriage, family, children, patience, seeking God, truth, answers etc.. plans for kids, teenagers, dating couples and many many more.
You're also able to connect with your friends if you wish to do so. I personally do not have friends in my Bible app because to me it’s not another social media account. I prefer not to have distractions when I use it as such a powerful tool. But I know a lot of people do so you do what works for you. (Please don’t be offended if I do not accept your friend request haha it’s not just you, I do not have any friends aside my immediate family. Thanks for understanding!) You can set reminders to not forget to read your Bible or do your reading plan. You can do reading plans together as a couple or with your kids or friends. Which is super neat! Anyway I think you get the point there is much you can do on there!
So now, here’s how I daily use the Bible app. Oh did I mention that you can listen to it audibly!! Life got a bit crazier over the years and there were seasons where I literally could not find a spare minute to sit down and focus (stay awake reading) so the audio version saved me! I also discovered that I’m an audible learner so listening to the Bible versus reading it to myself made such a huge difference to me! Anyway currently I am doing a few different plans on the app. I don’t exactly follow the days. Some I do consistently but some I do when the need arises. I have one on marriage “Biblical secrets to a happy marriage” by Shaunti Feldhahn. (One that I have on repeat). I’m doing one on parenting, some on self help and the one I do, read though daily is “Read through the Bible in 6 months”. I’m mostly listening to that one. So that’s as far as plans go.
I highlight verses as I read that stand out to me or the Lord speaks to me through. Later I go through and try to memorize them. I call them my “power verses” I’m not sure why but that’s how it’s been. When I was going through a very dark season in my life where I wanted to believe my feelings, emotions and desires over what the right thing to do was, I would stop everything and grab my phone, open the Bible app and go to the highlighted verses. I would read through them until I was encourage in the Lord and my emotions no longer controlled the situation. I found myself reading and memorizing all day, every day because through that season I was learning to trust the Lord and not my own understanding. Every time I wanted to lash out or do things my way and I knew in the Spirit that it wasn’t God’s way, I would go to his word and through that, find peace to then act on his strength and love and not my own.
Anyone can and everyone should have these power verses for themselves because without the word of God being a “lamp unto our feet” we end up following our own understanding and messing our life up. Through selfishness (disguised as lots of different things) through pain and trying to find healing outside of Jesus and many many other ways. So I encourage you to make a list of verses that can be your own power verses that you go to, to encourage yourself in the Lord with, as well as just grow your faith to step out into the fullness of life God has for you.
They also have a place where you can write down your prayers. I’ve actually been doing that with different prayer topics I have. For example kids, I write down my prayer and then fill in all the scripture I’m declaring for that topic and when I need it, I open it up and read through it. Same thing for healing or marriage. I had a season where I found myself drowning in weariness and discouragement so I made one for that. You can have as many as you need and personalize them however you want. I know you can probably do it on paper too or in your notes somewhere but I like that it’s in the Bible app all together when I need it.
Another reason I LOVE the Bible app is that I can use it for my kiddos. They have fallen asleep listening to the Bible for years now. I used to read to them and then I had four kids four and under and could not find the time or energy to read the chapters that I used to and wanted to read to them. So we started to turn on the audio version on the app and we all love it! To this day, even if I read to them they still turn on the Bible app to fall asleep. Their favorite book to listen to is Matthew and they say they almost have it memorized because of how many times they have heard it! A new thing they have been doing is they switched the language to Russian! To make it more “interesting” and to learn the language! It was so genius of them that I started to listen to my Bible in Russian too!
I will say that not every single word I hear goes into my memory log (if that’s a thing) like I’m not always full on paying attention, occasionally I day dream or doze off to sleep while it’s on but I am a firm believer that your sprit is always awake and listening. I do pause or go back and re listen where I feel like I left off but I don’t get hung up on that. Some people consider that wrong or that it’s cheating or something but then end up not reading at all or they do not enjoy their Bible time because of some religious way it has to be done. I just want to say find what works for you and do it!
I do like to have intentional/study reading time as well, now that my kiddos are older and sleep in a little later. So I wake up before them and do read my paper Bible in the mornings, aside from the plans I have going on in the app. It’s really not about when or how or how many chapters or hours you spend it’s all about staying connected to the source and that is Jesus. Getting to know him and using his word and truth to live out the life that he lived and told us we should follow. We don’t know what authority we have if we don’t learn about it first. The Old Testament is history for us and it shows us who God is and how faithful he is and all the awesome things he can do! The New Testament is basically his love story to us and Jesus living out by example how we should live. All of it is important but it’s also just there to help up know God, understand him and to grow in him. God speaks to me through his word a lot but he also speaks to me personally. I try to write it down and share it with others because God is not just a God of the Bible but he is a God of today, alive, speaking and wanting to connect with each one of us. To each of us it will be different because no two people are the same. If you have kiddos then you probably know what I mean. I take them each out on dates or spend time with them individually at home and it looks different with every single one of them. One loves to be up first with me in the mornings, another one loves to carve out time during the day, where they shoo everyone else out and it’s just the two of us, another one loves to sneak out of bed at night and process their day with me without anyone else around. They each want one on one but to each of them it looks different. I can’t force my early bird to stay awake until everyone else is asleep so he can spend time with me because he’s asleep before everyone else. Same thing for my late nighter, I could probably try to wake him up before everyone else and squeeze in time together but he enjoys and needs it a lot more in the evening after a busy day with a lot going on. All that to say you do you. Find what works for you and stick to it.
I always had this image in my head that I would have my time with God like my parents did, it took some time for me to let that go and find my own way. My husband connects with the Lord through playing music, I used to tell him it doesn’t work like that and that prayer and reading his paper Bible had to take place but boy was I wrong… Yes those things need to take place and need to be a discipline in your life but each of us connects differently with the Lord. So let go of expectations and pre conceived ideas and go into it open minded and see what you’ll discover! But don’t give up on days when it feels fry or mundane. It’s like working out, you don’t always want to but when you consistently put in the hours and days, you will see results.
I personally love to start my mornings off with Jesus (non of us are guaranteed a peaceful distraction free evening haha) my goal is to end the day with him, journaling and reading power verses to the kids but that doesn’t always play out. Throughout the day we do worship time together and read power verses as needed (if tempers flare up or moods need to be lifted).
Time with the Lord and being in his word is not just something you do and check off the list, it’s an on going relationship that never ends. It’s not just something we have to do because we love God but it’s all for us. The word of God is a tool for us, it benefits us to live according to his word. And when we finally get it, then we get to live the greatest adventure life has to offer!
Anyway through the Bible app, I found a way to listen to the Bible, I found a system for my power verses, the prayer option that I’ve also been utilizing, I enjoy the different plans they have. I love that it’s always with me and that now I’m even leaning Russian through it! I am so old school I never thought I would ever be promoting a modern way to incorporate reading the Bible but it helps! It works and it’s a tool that you should try too!
Thank you so much for reading! I’m always here for you! Let me know if you already love it or if you might just give it a try. Thanks again for stopping by!
Blessings! Natty
P.S. I started writing this entry on December 8, 2015 haha still using it and loving it all these years later! March 2022 where does time go??