I think there are a lot of us – especially in my generation and the generations that follow – that have our phones with us at all times. We’re connected to social media. We’re connected to email. The phone is right at our bedside, serving as an alarm clock.

I realized last night that when that alarm goes off (after however many “snoozes” it takes to actually start to get up), I tend to grab my phone as I come into the world for the day. It’s there as my mind starts working and as I subconsciously start to gear up for the day.

I check email to make sure I haven’t missed anything crucial overnight. I check social media or blog notifications to see if there are comments I want to reply to.

I realized last night that when that alarm goes off, I shouldn’t be starting my day with work. I shouldn’t be starting my day with seeing what new likes or follows have come in overnight. I shouldn’t be starting my day looking at the amazing work of the people I follow.

I should be starting my day looking at the amazing Word of the God I follow.

I recently started a daily devotional plan through an app (YouVersion – Bible) on my phone. I was reading it in the evenings or right as I climb into bed at the end of the day.

But I thought – how much better would it be to have his Word in my mind as I come into the day?! So I am starting to do my devotionals in the mornings in an effort to let it be more of a guide for my day.

The app is simple and convenient, and offers lots of plans you can choose for daily devotionals. Moving forward, I would love to try to get a devotional book and a journal instead of using my phone, but for now it works well!

Have any of y’all tried a mobile app for daily devotionals? Which one would you recommend? And which printed versions would you recommend as well?