10 Helpful Smartphone Uses for Christians

I wish I could say that I was sad when my mom’s flip phone stopped working last Christmas.  I really wish I could, but I can’t lol. The truth is, I was pretty happy that her cell phone company discontinued making new flip phones and that she was now being forced to jump into the modern day age of smartphones. More apps and special features for her! Yay!

Let’s be honest, technology is changing everyday. Everyday you learn that some new update on your phone now allows you to do ______ or that you can now _______ on social media. I must admit, its scary and exciting all at the same time! In this ever changing technological world, it’s up to us as Christians to find a way to change with the times while also NOT losing our zeal and commitment to following Christ. So that thing you have in your hand right now or that device that’s next to you as you read this blog post (yes, that smartphone), let’s look at 10 ways you can use that smartphone to help you on your Christian journey. 

1. Use the “Do Not Disturb” feature. Discovering this feature of my smartphone has been an absolute game changer! I have loved being able to take a break from my phone, yet still be accessible to my mom in case of an emergency. I use the do not disturb feature on the weekends when I just want to unplug as well as after long days at work when I just want quiet time alone with God. Here are directions on how to access this feature:

(Apple user directions: Settings> Do Not Disturb> Toggle button)

(Android user directions: Settings> Sound & Notification >Do Not Disturb)

 

2. Use Bible apps. In the Bible, 2 Timothy 2:15 commands us to study to show ourselves approved.
   

    

   ^“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”. — 2 Timothy 2:15

   Having the Bible right at our fingertips gives us so much freedom to read and study God’s beautiful Word no matter the time or the place. Some of my favorite Bible apps include Holy Bible, Bible Gateway, and Bible by Olive Tree. NOTE: Many of these apps also have devotionals or notifications you can set up in order to get scriptures sent to you daily or weekly.

 

 

3. Listen to Christian podcasts. I honestly had never listened to a podcast before last year. But now I am totally hooked on them! I currently have about 8 podcasts that are in heavy rotation on any given day of the week. I love the variety of them all and how depending on the length, I can listen to them on my lunch break or during my work commutes. You can even multitask and listen to a podcast while you exercise, cook, or clean. I don’t know about you, but I am all for multitasking!

 

 

4. Create a Gospel music playlist or listen to a Gospel radio station. Several different apps such as Spotify, Pandora, Apple ITunes, etc can be used to set up the perfect playlist for praise and worship. In addition, there are several online gospel radio stations if you don’t feel like going through the work of creating a playlist of your own.

 

 

5. Examine your heart…ooooops! I mean your smartphone habits. Many of us are guilty of spending a significant amount of time glued to our phones—much more than we would ever like to admit. One way to know what’s important to us is to ask ourselves “what do we spend a lot of our time doing?” If we want to evaluate how much time our phone is getting compared to other things in our life that we “claim” are important to us, let’s check to see how much time a day (minutes, hours) we use on our smart or per each app. Here are the directions to do so for Apple users:

(Apple user directions: Settings>Battery> Click on each app (Facebook, Instagram, etc) to see how much “screen time” each app is getting. You may need to click the clock icon for it to switch from “battery percentage used on app” to “time spent on app”

(*NOTE: Not quite sure how to do this for Android users, or if this feature is even offered. If it is and you’re aware of how to navigate to such, please provide instructions in the comments! Thanks in advance!)

 

 

6. Use book review apps to find Christian books and connect with Christian authors. A great one that I use is “Goodreads”. I loooooove the GOODREADS website and app. I can keep track of my virtual “bookshelf”, stay up to date on what my friends are reading and suggesting, as well as read reviews from thousands of people with similar reading interests as me. The website is www.goodreads.com

 

 

7. Stream worship service and Bible study online. I can’t count the number of times this has feature has blessed me. Many Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights, due to health complications, I have been unable to get in the car and drive to an actual church building for worship service. I have found the ability to still hear and participate in worship and studying God’s word from home a great joy! I can only imagine how beneficial this feature can be for those who travel a lot for work, don’t have reliable transportation, or are too ill to attend services. If you would like some recommendations for worship services or Bible study classes that stream online , please contact me at liftedwoman@gmail.com or find me on Instagram or Twitter. I would love to connect you to some!

 

 

8. Connect with like-minded Christians via social media. Words cannot express how thankful I am to have connected with some of the people that I have this year. Extremely fruitful relationships with other Christians have definitely blossomed from Facebook Groups, Direct Messages, Collaboration opportunities, etc. Sometimes it’s easy to feel like you stand alone on certain issues or passions. However, when you change who you connect with on social media, you may be surprised to discover new meaningful connections that really do help to “sharpen you”.
   

    

   “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”– Proverbs 27:17

   Adding these virtual friends to your physical community can make for one of the best support systems ever. I used to be the first person to say “I don’t like social media” or “I want to get off social media because there’s nothing but drama on there”. However, I am now learning NOT to underestimate or box in the ways that social media can be beneficial.

   NOTE: The best button I ever discovered was the “unfollow” button on Facebook. It allows you to remain “friends” with people but not see their posts on your timeline. Plus, they will never know. Hooray for all my fellow introverts or non confrontational people out there! lol

 

9. Set up group texts or individual text message threads containing inspirational messages. There is definitely power in prayer calls or text message threads where you can be open and vulnerable with your needs. I am a living witness to this! The word that God has been putting on my heart more and more this year has been “community”. We need it so much. Life is not meant to be lived alone. God wants us to fellowship with and encourage one another daily so that we can be the kind of Christians we are called to be. So even if you don’t see your loved ones, church members or accountability partners (as mentioned in the blog post “Lean On Me”: The Importance of Christian Accountability) everyday, a simple text message can really work wonders in regards to comfort, agreement, and encouragement. So don’t delay, get those text message threads or GroupMe discussions with your loved ones started! You won’t regret it.

 

 

10. Follow Christian Blogs! I would looooove for you to subscribe to and visit this LIFTED WOMAN Christian Blog regularly for encouragement through God’s Word. However, maybe this website isn’t your style. Maybe you’re not drawn to it. That’s okay. There are plenty of other Christian blogs that may be of interest to you, however. I can list at least 10-15 great blogs off the top of my head right now that you can subscribe to. Don’t be afraid to search for resources such as Christian Blogs to help you on your daily Christian journey. There is a reason that Christian bloggers spend countless hours reading, studying, and writing encouragement based on the Word of God. We want to UPLIFT you and help you grow in Christ with the material we post! So please take advantage and check us out!

 

Whew! There you have it—– 10 Helpful Smartphone Uses for Christians. I could’ve added so many others such as: set up prayer calls/video calls with loved ones, set reminders/alarms to ensure study time and prayer time exists, take sermon notes within a notes app, or find/ post/share inspirational quotes on social media (FB, IG, Pinterest).

I’m curious—-What ways has your smartphone helped you on your Christian journey? Feel free to comment below or send me a message via IG, Twitter, or email. I would love to share your ideas!

 

 

 

 

 

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Can’t wait to connect with you!