We check our phones an average of 144 times a day. For most of us between 18 and 35, our smartphone is the first thing we touch in the morning and the last thing we see at night. We’ve given it prime real estate in our lives—our pockets, our bedside tables, our constant attention.
But here’s the question that should stop us in our scrolling tracks: What if the device that consumes most of our daily attention became a place where we encounter God?
The Modern-Day Altar
In the Old Testament, altars were places of encounter. Abraham built an altar wherever God met him (Genesis 12:7). Jacob took stones and created a sacred marker after his dream, saying, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it” (Genesis 28:16).
An altar wasn’t just religious furniture. It was a designated space where the ordinary met the divine. A physical reminder that said, “God is here. I have encountered Him in this place.”
Your phone? It’s already an altar. The question is: What are you worshiping on it?
What We Actually Worship (And How to Know)
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” — Matthew 6:21
Pull up your screen time report right now. I’ll wait.
Those numbers don’t lie. They reveal what we treasure, what captures our hearts, what we’re truly devoted to. For many of us, it’s:
- The Altar of Validation — Instagram, TikTok, checking if people liked our posts
- The Altar of Comparison — Scrolling through everyone’s highlight reels while our real life feels mundane
- The Altar of Distraction — Anything to avoid being present, being still, being with our own thoughts
- The Altar of Information — Consuming endless content but retaining nothing of substance
We’re not sinners because we have phones. We’re human because we take good things and make them ultimate things. Technology isn’t evil—it’s just a terrible god.
Reclaiming Sacred Space in a Secular Device
Paul wrote, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1).
If our bodies are living sacrifices, and our phones are extensions of our daily bodies—our tools for communication, work, connection—then they too can be offered to God.
Here’s how to transform your phone from a source of spiritual drain into a digital altar:
1. Create a Sacred Home Screen
Your home screen is your phone’s altar. What’s on it?
- Remove the temples of distraction. Delete social media apps from your home screen. Make them harder to access. “Make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Romans 13:14).
- Add tools of devotion. Bible app, prayer app, worship music, Christian podcasts—front and center.
- Use a meaningful wallpaper. A scripture, a reminder of God’s faithfulness, an image that redirects your heart upward.
When you unlock your phone, you should encounter a reminder: This device serves a higher purpose.
2. Consecrate Your First and Last Scroll
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” — Mark 1:35
Jesus prioritized meeting with God before the noise of the day began. What if you did the same?
Instead of:
- Waking up → checking Instagram → feeling inadequate
Try:
- Waking up → opening your Bible app → reading a Psalm → starting with gratitude
Your first mental input shapes your entire day. Make it the voice of God, not the voices of influencers, news cycles, or your own anxiety.
The same applies at night. Instead of scrolling into oblivion, end with:
- A bedtime prayer
- Worship music
- Gratitude journaling in a notes app
- Scripture meditation
“I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8).
3. Practice Digital Sabbath
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” — Exodus 20:8
Sabbath isn’t about legalism; it’s about rest, rhythm, and remembering that you are not God. The world doesn’t need you online 24/7.
Try:
- One day a week completely offline (or at least social media-free)
- Phone-free mornings until after you’ve spent time with God
- Tech-free meals — be present with people or yourself
- Notification fasts — turn off non-essential notifications for a season
When you practice Sabbath from your phone, you declare: My identity isn’t found in my online presence. My worth isn’t determined by engagement metrics. I am loved by God whether I post or not.
4. Curate Your Digital Diet
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” — Philippians 4:8
You wouldn’t eat junk food for every meal and expect to feel healthy. Why do we consume digital junk all day and wonder why we feel spiritually empty?
Audit who and what you follow:
- Does this account bring me closer to God or distract me from Him?
- Does this content encourage me or discourage me?
- Am I consuming truth or just noise?
Unfollow ruthlessly. Follow intentionally. Your feed should be a garden, not a garbage dump.
5. Turn Notifications into Nudges Toward God
Every notification is designed to pull your attention. What if you redirected that pull toward prayer?
- Set daily Bible verse notifications
- Schedule prayer reminders at specific times
- Use app timers that notify you when you’ve spent too long scrolling—then use that as a cue to pray
- Change notification sounds to something that reminds you to pause and breathe
“Pray without ceasing.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Technology can actually help with this if we’re intentional.
6. Use Your Phone to Build Community, Not Comparison
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together… but encouraging one another.” — Hebrews 10:24-25
Your phone can be a tool for:
- Sending encouragement texts to friends
- Sharing testimonies in group chats
- Organizing real-life meetups and faith communities
- Praying for people via voice notes
- Sharing what God is teaching you
Social media isn’t the enemy. Isolation disguised as connection is.
The Discipline of Digital Intentionality
None of this happens accidentally. It requires what the ancient church called “spiritual disciplines”—intentional practices that create space for God.
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.” — 1 Corinthians 9:24-25
Training our phone habits is spiritual training. It’s not legalism; it’s love. We discipline what we love because we want it to flourish.
What If We Actually Did This?
Imagine a generation that:
- Started their days with Scripture instead of stress
- Used their phones to encourage rather than envy
- Practiced rest in an age of hustle
- Created space for God in the very device designed to steal our attention
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” — Jeremiah 29:13
Your phone can be part of that seeking. Not the center of your faith, but a tool that points you toward the Center.
Your Challenge This Week
- Audit your screen time. Be honest about what you’re actually worshiping.
- Redesign your home screen with intention.
- Choose one digital discipline from this post and commit to it for 7 days.
- Tell someone what you’re doing—accountability matters.
The digital altar isn’t about perfection. It’s about redirection. It’s about taking the tool you already use for hours every day and asking, “God, how can this glorify You instead of distracting me from You?”
Your phone is already sacred space—because wherever you encounter God becomes holy ground.
The question is: Will you build an altar there?
“Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” — Genesis 28:16
Maybe it’s time to become aware.
