The Bible warns us all, "Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.42 “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38 nkjv
How are Digital Distractions Robbing the Souls of Many?
If the devil can’t make you sin, he’ll tempt you.. and make you busy. He doesn’t need to destroy your faith outright — he only needs to keep you too distracted to notice that it’s fading. And in our time, nothing steals our attention more effectively than the small glowing rectangle in our pockets and then in our hands.
What.. how many times does a Westerner touch their phone per day?
It buzzes, we reach for it before we rise, we scroll before we sleep, and by day’s end, the average American has touched their phone over 2,600 times.¹ The tragedy isn’t just lost time — it’s lost intimacy with God. Like Martha in Luke 10, we’re “worried and troubled about many things,” while the “one thing needed” — sitting quietly at Jesus’ feet — slips through our fingers.
This was based on research firm dscout that tracked the phone use of nearly 100 Android users in the United States.
The top 10% of users in the dscout study logged more than 5,400 touches a day.
Average American phone checks (2025): The research firm DemandSage reports that Americans check their phones an average of 144 times a day.
Average American phone interactions (2025): The blog SlickText, citing earlier data, says the average American smartphone user reaches for their phone 352 times per day.
Average iPhone unlocks: Apple has stated that iPhone users unlock their phones approximately 80 times per day.
“If Satan can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.” – Corrie ten Boom
If Mr. Lu-Cifer and his gang can't pull you back into old works of the flesh and sin, he will push you to become too busy for time alone with Jesus.
The Subtle Theft of the Genuine Sacred by iPhone or Droid Sadly, Happens.
Distraction isn’t neutral. It’s first a spiritual matter. Are you a more disciplined person? Every notification that pulls you from prayer, every buzzing alert that interrupts your reading of the Scriptures, is an assault on the very thing that nourishes your soul. And the enemy knows it. Why tempt you with obvious rebellion when a DM, text message or TikTok will do?
Our devices train our minds to crave novelty and speed. But the voice of God is often heard in stillness. He ain't too slow or quiet for you. “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). A heart constantly lasered-in on swiping left or right cannot fully hear Him.
Why Not Make An Old Physical Bible Matter To You More Than A New Digital One (Beep, Chirp)?
"Get back, get backGet back to where you once belongedGet back, get backGet back to where you once belongedGet back Jojo" ~ John Lennon and Paul McCartney
I'm mainly talking about gettin' you back to God--getting right with Him. Americans need the living Word and a spiritual Awakening. Nothing beats living with Him in His will!
Is an old Bible an old path, really? Naw, it's a Book -- it's a good old idea!
Speaking of those old paths, God called His Jewish people. And He calls you and me to seek Him first biblically and to acknowledge Him (see Proverbs 3). Yes, to view Him as our God and treat Him accordingly (Ecclesiastes 12). Those ancient paths explain our lostness and our need for a savior (Isaiah 64:6), and they explain how God provided that Savior (Isaiah 53). Those ancient paths show us that the road to redemption is a simple one—belief in Him (Genesis 15:6; Habakkuk 2:4)—and that He is faithful to all who believe (Psalm 37:25). In the final chapters (what we call the New Testament) of His revealed Word, we are given much more detail and specific guidance about how God has worked and is working. Those chapters stand as evidence that the ancient paths are not archaic or inaccessible or irrelevant. Rather, they are indeed a light to our old path (Psalm 119:105).
I'm not against all digital Bibles in phone apps. Personally, I love filling in the gaps with my audio Bibles, app ones too, and some good audiobooks ..but for devotional time alone, it's about grabbing my floppy leather-bound one. And grasping ahold of Him with His plan.
Yes, Bible apps are so convenient. But if we’re honest, they’re often where distraction begins. Before we even open the Word in the morning (the Bible), we’ve checked the news, the weather, replied to messages, and glimpsed headlines that weigh heavily.. that pull down the soul.
Grabbing a physical Bible while whispering a prayer, on the other hand, is so gloriously NOT useless. Pray, and it will be uplifting!
This hardcopy Book could become useless if it's solely a dust collector, but it is not a useless tool for connecting and communion with God. Listen, it doesn’t ping or vibrate. It doesn’t tempt people in any way. It simply sits there, sort of like a faithful friend, waiting for you to open it.
When you pick it up, it's profitable! Your whole person can learn something edifying. This moment is to be set apart. It's reserved, it's dedicated, it's consecrated for the glory of God. Your hands feel its weight. I like the smell of leather with those pages. Your fingers turn those pages, instead of screens. Your eyes trace words that have fed instead of fleeced saints for centuries. And your soul knows this isn’t just another task — this is holy ground you're on.
“The Bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.” – Charles Spurgeon
And unlike your phone, a physical Bible grows with you. The ink-stained notes, the tear-soaked margins, those faithful, unchanging highlighted promises — they become a map of sorts for your journey Home. To your Father in Heaven (grab a hand and bring a friend with you).
Long after apps are updated or obsolete and those phones discarded, that worn copy still speaks of prayers prayed and promises kept. Mark it up in such a way that you can still read the ink parts.
Distraction’s Cost but Christ Calls
According to Grorge Barna, 82% of Christians say they want to read the Bible more often, yet less than 30% do so daily.²
Many cite “lack of time.” But the truth is much harsher: it’s not that we lack time — it’s that we’ve traded it for lesser things (beep, buzz, ping). “Redeem the time,” Paul urged, because wasted moments are great spiritual losses.
The Bible says, "Therefore see that you walk carefully [living life with honor, purpose, and courage; shunning those who tolerate and enable evil], not as the unwise, but as wise [sensible, intelligent, discerning people], making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], because the days are [filled with] evil. Therefore do not be foolish and thoughtless, but understand and firmly grasp what the will of the Lord is." Ephesians 5:15-17 amp
I love using my digital Bible and tools to do searches, but not first thing in the morning. Consider this: the same device that delivers Scripture can also deliver temptation. The same phone that pings at cha with a verse of the day or has your yearly plan can ping with gossip, fear, noise, or with a sensual image designed for you to be lusting. Why invite that battle into your devotional time when you don’t have to? Let your mind be set apart for candid prayer and the living Word.
“Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees.” – William Cowper
A physical Bible is more than paper and ink — it’s a prayer weapon to use against the enemy, not against people. Never let it become some religious weapon to maim people with. The accusatory (dead inside) Pharisees did that sort of thing. When Jesus was tempted by the enemy, He quoted appropriate scriptures for the moment.
“The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17). And a sword is far more effective when it’s in your hand, not buried among iPhone apps and algorithms.
Need some Peace Again? Reclaiming Peace and Victory is Possible.
Confess, repent, reapproprite the Spirit's comfort and calm. Hear Him first. Say thanks and ask him questions all day long.
Try this for a week: every morning, before you reach for.. or touch your phone, touch the Word first. Make it a habit that the first voice you hear is not the world’s but God’s. Find a chair, open those pages, and linger. Thirty unhurried minutes in the Word will do more for your soul than three hours of scrolling ever could.
but Acts 22:9 says that they heard no voice?
Have you experienced..encountered some distractions lately and want to stop hearing or seeing them?
Forty-seven secs (yep, only 47 seconds) refers to the average time a person spends focused on a single screen today before switching to another one.
That's not their total attention capacity in one day per se, but this is quite astonishing (from research by Dr. Gloria Mark, a professor at the University of California, Irvine, who studies digital distractions).
Hymn writer Helen Lemmel once penned, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim..”
When we look up from our screens and fix our gaze on Christ, the distractions will lose their power, and peace returns.
What Are After-Thoughts
If you feel like God is far away.. guess who moved. Have you drifted some? God hasn’t changed. His promises haven’t changed. His Word hasn’t changed. Maybe we have — and maybe it’s time to return to the simple, very practical practices that God used to shape the saints before us. Close those apps. Set the phone down.. it probably needs charging anyway. Open the Book. Sit still. Listen up.. and long.
Because when you trade distraction in for devotion, you don’t just read the Bible — you hear your Loving Lord lead. And that voice, once heard, is worth silencing the world's voice for.
Listen to the Word and find new peace:
- Isaiah 26:3: "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you".
- Psalm 46:10: "Be still, and know that I am God".
- Psalm 85:8: "I will listen to what God the Lord says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants—but let them not turn to folly".
- John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid".
- John 16:33: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world".
- Isaiah 26:3: "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you".
- Psalm 46:10: "Be still, and know that I am God".
- Psalm 85:8: "I will listen to what God the Lord says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants—but let them not turn to folly".
- John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid".
- John 16:33: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world".
- Philippians 4:6-7: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus".
- Galatians 5:22-23: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness".
- Romans 8:6: "To be controlled by the flesh is death, but to be controlled by the Spirit is life and peace".
It’s amazing how little time it actually takes to drift.. just minutes to pull our hearts off course. Most of the time, it’s not some blatant sin — it’s some good things that quietly crowd out the best thing (time with Jesus, hearing Him).
Like Martha, we can become so busy "serving the living Word" that we no longer have time for the Word Himself. We can lag behind Him. or be doing, doing, doing things for Jesus.. running out ahead of Him that are not being with Jesus. He calls us to Himself.. to follow Him closely not run out ahead of Him. Why be out serving Him in your own power with your own ingenuity?
We fill our days with work, texts, tweets on X, scrolling, errands, meetings — and before we know it, our Bibles are long collecting dust and our prayers feel so rushed.
I'm a hard worker that get's busy. Busyness in and of itself isn’t evil, but it’s so dangerous when it keeps us from the “one thing needed.” I am to abide in the Vine, not strive in the flesh.
Mary understood that. She stopped and listened up. She sat still, and soaked in His words. The truth is, we all could become more like Mary or more like Martha.
Do you really want to prove our worth through activity and good works? You can't earn more grace that way. But Jesus gently reminds us that intimacy with Him is worth more than any to-do list done.
Maybe the question isn’t “Am I doing too much?” but “Am I making room for Him first?” Let Him be Lord of all, because if the enemy can’t make us bad, he’ll make us too busy.
Where your treasure is today, cuz guess what.. there your heart will be also (See Matthew 6:21). What does that even mean?
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth can't chew it up.
Stir it up instead of get all distracted. Jesus warned us, “No one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24).
Why attempt to serve both God and the dopamine drip of our digital devices? We start the day with good intentions and get distracted. I've been there before, planning to read Scripture first, but an email pulls me into work.
It happens to many of us. We open our Bible app, only to be lured by a notification. The result? God’s Word gets drowned out by a thousand lesser inferior voices.
It’s costing us dearly says George Barna. He reports that while 82% of Christians say they wish they would read their Bibles more, but less than 1 in 3 actually read it daily.³ The number one reason given? “I’m just too busy.”
Is it truly a lack of time, Sport, or just a lack of attention?
Letting distractions rip you off has gotta stop -- say NO to this spiritual danger.
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“Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
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“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2).
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“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2).
If the enemy can keep you from this stillness I'm talking about, he can keep you from transformation.
Mary and Martha: That's an Ancient Picture of a Modern Problem.. but we have phones in our hands.
Reread the story again slowly. It’s an old story with a painfully modern lesson. When Jesus visited Bethany, Martha busied herself with chores, while Mary sat quietly at His feet hearing His words. Martha, flustered and frustrated, begged Jesus to rebuke her sister. Instead, He gently said:
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part..” (Luke 10:41–42).
Our phones have simply given us more ways to be Martha — SO “many things” to become troubled about. But Mary reminds us that the better portion is not found in constant activity, but in a Person.. in unhurried time before the presence of Christ.
Again, Practical Steps to Reclaim Your Focus On Him.
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Set Apart Sacred Space Early as you Can. Decide that when it’s time for Scripture, your phone goes in another room. Guard that time like a meeting with a king — because it is.
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Begin the Day with Prayer & Bible-First. Before you check messages or headlines, check in with God. “In the morning, Lord, You hear my voice..” (Psalm 5:3).
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Anchor Your Soul Daily. Thirty minutes of focused, uninterrupted time with God will do more for your soul than hours of distracted skimming.
I need to put on.. to keep wearing the helmet of salvation and take up the sword of the Spirit every day.
The Word of God is called “the sword of the Spirit” (the only part of the armor that is for offense instead of defense, Ephesians 6:17) — but a sword is useless if you never draw it. Every ping that pulls you away from Scripture is a skirmish the enemy wins without firing one shot.
The question isn’t whether we can make time for God’s Word — it’s whether we’re willing to stop and fight for it?
So put that phone down. Keep it down early. Pick the Word up, pray an honest prayer with some thanksgiving too. Sit at His feet. Praise His Holy Name. And watch how quickly peace returns to your heart when the noise is silenced and the Shepherd’s voice is the one you hear most clearly.
¹ Dscout Research, “Mobile Touches Study,” 2023
² Barna Group, “State of the Bible,” 2024
