How to read the Bible before opening social media

You pick up your phone to check one thing, and find yourself scrolling. If you want to spend more time with God, start with one small change: read a little of the Bible before opening social media.

You don’t need to give up your phone or finish a whole chapter. You need a clear place to begin.

Choose one moment in your day.

Pick a moment you already recognise: sitting down with your morning coffee, arriving home, or getting into bed. Make that your cue to read before you open your usual apps.

Keep the plan specific: “After I make my coffee, I’ll read for five minutes before I check Instagram.” Choose a time that fits your life, even if it isn’t first thing in the morning.

Have a passage ready.

Deciding what to read can become another reason to put it off. Choose your next passage in advance. Psalm 23 is a short place to begin. If you’d like to follow the life of Jesus, start with Mark 1:1–15 and continue through Mark a little at a time.

Read slowly enough to notice what is happening. At the end, ask: “What does this show me about God?” Let one thought stay with you as you go into your day.

Put a pause before your apps.

Move social apps off your home screen and put your Bible app somewhere easy to reach. You can also silence notifications during your reading time. If reading on your phone keeps pulling you elsewhere, leave it out of reach and use a printed Bible.

If you want an extra pause, Bible Unlock is being built around this idea: choose the apps you want to block, then read the Bible for your chosen time to unblock them during your daily routine. App blocking is optional and uses Apple’s Screen Time permission.

Keep your reading time small enough to return to.

Five minutes is a starting point, not a measure of your faith. Some days you may stay longer. On others, a short passage and a moment of prayer may be all you have.

When you miss a day, come back at the next opportunity. There is no reading debt to catch up on before you can begin again.

Make the routine your own.

The aim is to make space for God in a day that already feels full. Start with one app, one moment and one passage. You can adjust the rest as you learn what helps you return.