Practical Ways to Live Out Scripture with Our Screens Off
There’s a verse I keep coming back to—Psalm 46:10. “Be still, and know that I am God.” It’s simple. Powerful. But let’s be honest, being still isn’t exactly trending.
We live in a world full of pings, scrolls, likes, and noise. Quiet moments are rare. Stillness is almost suspicious. And yet, the Bible calls us to it, not once, not as an option, but as a command.
So what does it really mean to “be still” when our phones rarely leave our hands?
Let’s talk about it. And more than that, let’s talk about how we can actually live it.
Step One: Make Stillness Part of Your Rhythm
Stillness doesn’t always mean sitting on a porch staring at the wind (though that’s lovely too). It means an intentional pause. A stop in the rush. A clearing of space so we can listen, not just scroll, not just consume.
Try this:
- Start your morning without screens. Even just 10 minutes.
- Open a Bible instead of an app.
- Breathe. Say, “Speak, Lord. I’m listening.”
- Don’t fill the silence. Let it settle.
It’ll feel awkward at first. But so does anything that’s good for your soul.
Step Two: Ask the Right Questions
Here’s a filter I’ve started using with my own tech use:
Does this bring peace or pressure?
Does this deepen my faith or distract it?
If Jesus walked into the room while I was scrolling, would I feel like pausing or hiding?
That’s not shame but awareness. And awareness leads to wisdom.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:23, “Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial.” That includes apps, podcasts, YouTube spirals, and even devotionals if they’re just background noise.
We can’t just ask “Is this bad?” We need to ask, “Is this fruitful?”
Step Three: Use Tech to Honor God, Not Replace Him
Let’s not throw the baby out with the Wi-Fi.
Technology isn’t evil. It’s just a tool. But like any tool, it should be used with purpose.
Here are a few ways to keep it holy:
- Use alarms to remind you to pray.
- Alarms are easy to set, a daily/weekly reminder on our phones
- Follow accounts that speak life, not stir stress.
- Unfollow those who cause stress, it doesn’t hurt them but it can heal you
- Turn off notifications during your Sabbath.
- Do not Disturb settings are wonderful for this
- Make a family “tech basket” for meals and devotion time.
- Do this for everyone, including Mom and Dad, even visitors
- Set a Scripture lock screen.
- A simple verse can be a daily anchor. Mine is “Be Still and Know”
We can’t keep pretending our screens don’t shape us. They do. But we get to choose how.
Step Four: Create Sacred Boundaries
Remember how the Israelites had Sabbath laws? It wasn’t about being rigid, it was about protecting what mattered.
We need digital sabbaths too. Time to reset our attention. Time to remember that God’s voice isn’t in the whirlwind. His voice is in the whisper.
Try this:
Pick one day a week when you put the phone down. No email. No social. No screens unless it’s to call your grandma or play music while you clean. (I’ll do a future post that provides details for the Do Not Disturb settings on your phone.)
Walk. Nap. Read Scripture out loud. Let your kids see you choose stillness over stimulation.
They’ll remember that. And so will you.
Step Five: Return to Presence
When Moses met God in the burning bush, God said, “Take off your sandals. You’re standing on holy ground.”
What if our homes became holy ground again?
What if the dinner table was where prayers lingered and laughter echoed?
What if bedtime wasn’t lit by the glow of screens, but by the gentle light of a nightstand Bible?
Presence takes practice. It takes intention. But it’s not complicated. It’s a thousand tiny choices to show up with your whole heart, not just half of it scrolling somewhere else.
Final Thought
Being still doesn’t mean doing nothing. It means doing the right things with peace, not pressure.
And knowing that He is God? That comes when we slow down enough to notice Him.
In the rustle of leaves. In the hush of a home without background noise. In the whispered prayers of kids who watch us and learn.
So, yes, “Be still and know” is still possible. Even now. Especially now.
All it takes is the courage to be quiet in a world that’s loud.
And the faith to believe that God still meets us there.
From my quiet corner to yours,
Bea