8 Tips for Replacing Scrolling with Scripture
Every night and every morning, I found myself opening my phone. I used to have an old-fashioned alarm clock, but since my phone has an alarm, it sits beside my bed. It also sits in my purse, in the car’s cup holder, and beside me on the counter as I fix dinner. More recently, I have noticed that my hands feel weird if I don’t have my phone. But I didn’t like how, at every idle moment, I was scrolling through emails, social media, and app games.
One day, something shifted in me. I’m not sure how it happened, but all of a sudden, my phone started telling me how much time I was spending on it. The first time it notified me of my screen time, I was appalled at the hours it recorded me scrolling.
Each Sunday, I would get an update on how much time I had spent the previous week on various apps. Over the course of several months, I would be sitting in Sunday school, and my phone would ding with the “screen time update.” As I studied the Bible with my class, I would glance at my phone and be reminded of how much time I had wasted on mindless scrolling the previous week.
As I started looking at the time I was spending on various apps, I was ashamed that my Bible app barely had 15 minutes a day, while all of my other favorite apps were well above 2-3 hours a day. Immediately, I started feeling guilty, but then I realized it made sense. I was becoming more distracted and less interested in God’s Word. I would read the Bible to check it off my to-do list, but meaningful study was no longer a regular part of my day.
All of the data and research show that we are all addicted to our phones, and it is destroying our health, especially our mental health. Because of this data and the fact that my phone reminds me each week of how much time I spend on the various apps on my phone, I’ve decided to try replacing scrolling with scripture.
This is an ongoing battle for me because old (and strong) habits are hard to break. It is a process that requires me to give myself grace and patience, but I am motivated to persevere. As time goes on, I want to spend less time on my phone and more time in God’s Word. I’ve come up with eight tips to help replace scrolling for scripture.
8 Tips for Replacing Scrolling for Scripture
1. Put the Bible app up front, easily accessible. It is a habit to click on the social media apps or even my email app first thing when I pick up my phone. I am slowly training my brain and fingers to click on the Bible app instead. It is the first thing I try to click on each morning, if I even pick up my phone first thing. Usually, I try to leave my phone plugged in and head downstairs right away to read my Bible before checking my phone.
2. Turn off all notifications except for the Bible app. Each morning, I wake up with a notification from the YouVersion Bible app with the “verse for today.” I read that verse and spend my initial waking moments thinking about that verse. I don’t have any notifications turned on for mail, messages, or other apps. That has been key because when I see a notification, I have this pull to check it.
3. Listen to the Bible being read. I love listening to larger portions of scripture, but I am also easily distracted. Listening to the Bible through the app is a great way to keep my mind focused on God’s Word, especially when I’m busy folding laundry or getting ready for my day. Just listening requires that we use a different part of our brain so that the Bible can be processed in new ways.
4. Get a physical Bible that you’re excited to pick up. I have a few Bibles I keep around the house. One is on the nightstand next to my bed, and one is at my desk. I also have one downstairs next to my comfortable chair. Having these Bibles available throughout the day helps me have them ready when I feel the pull towards my phone.
5. Pray daily when it is a battle to put down the phone. I pray for the Holy Spirit’s help to stay focused. During my day, I constantly ask God to help me not turn to my phone during times of waiting or distraction. Prayer and the help of the Spirit have been vital in helping me break the scrolling habit.
6. Put the phone far away during your Bible study or reading. Every morning, I try to leave my phone beside my bed while I go downstairs to fix my coffee and then read my Bible. If I take my phone with me, I always end up scrolling. Instead, leaving it in a different room during my quiet time with God has been so good.
7. Bring a small Bible or earphones to read or listen to the Word while waiting at doctors’ offices or therapy appointments. I spend several hours a week waiting for my daughter’s physical therapy appointments. During that time, I kept my phone in my purse and tried to spend that time reading or listening to the Word of God.
8. Only pick up your phone when you absolutely have to check something. When I had my notifications turned on, I was very reactionary with my phone use. I would feel the urge to pick up my phone with every single bing of something. Once I turned my notifications off, I found I picked up my phone for specific reasons. Maybe I needed to check the weather, look for a specific email, or put something in my Amazon cart.
Unplugging to Plug into the Word
The most significant help I’ve seen in replacing scrolling for scripture is to simply not use my phone as much. I removed some social media apps and only checked those accounts on my computer. I’ve also removed most of the games on my phone or put them in a folder I rarely access.
My phone is a great tool, but I will not let it replace the time I could be reading the Word of God. Scripture holds greater value in our lives than scrolling. We all know this, but the enemy likes to keep us from Scripture at all costs.
Replacing scrolling with scripture is a constant spiritual battle. I realize I have to fight it each day. As you read through these tips, I hope you can pick at least one to implement today. Maybe one of my tips has sparked an idea in your heart for how you can replace scrolling with Scripture. No matter what, I think we can all agree that we can never have “too much” of God’s Word in our lives!
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Aaron Burden
Originally published July 30, 2025.
