In honor of The YouVersion Bible apps new redesign, today I’m going to share with you seven apps I use in my daily devotion time!

“There’s an app for that.” has been a fairly common refrain for quite awhile now, to the point that the phenomena is rather old news, but the huge resource that is phone apps is a fairly new one to me, as for a long time we couldn’t afford such a luxury as a “smart phone.”

Until last December.

Confession: we still can’t, my parents keep us in phones and last December switched to a new plan that could place us in a data plan for not much more than what they were currently paying. Merry Christmas us, thanks Mom and Dad!

Since that time I’ve become a bit of an app addict. I have apps for everything. I have apps for helping me keep track of chores and for cleaning the house. I have apps for tracking calories, doing circuit exercise and yoga routines, tracking walks. Apps for getting me started in a morning routine to help jump start my days. Lots of apps to help me manage my blog, social media, analytics, everything you could think of. I even found one to teach me how to play guitar! Finally using that guitar my parents bought me twelve years ago. Score!

I might have a problem.

Still, most of these apps, at there heart, are tools, and some of them are tools that have helped in a surprising area: my devotional time.

Some would think technology and cell phone screens would be a distraction from spiritual development, but they don’t have to be. Apps, just like any other tool, are all about how you use them.

So without further delay, here are seven apps I use daily that I hope can bless you as well!

Note: I have an android phone.

YouVersion

Available on many different devices, I first discovered YouVersion on my Nook from Barnes and Noble three years ago. It was the first device I’d ever had that had apps, and I was in a tough daily grind. My daughter was in the NICU and I had little time to think, much less study. I could barely see straight, much less read. So I started a reading plan that would take me through the psalms, discovered a version that had audio options, and listened every day in my spare moments. In that stressful time, it was life saving.

What is YouVersion? It’s an app that’s entire focus is bringing God’s Word to people. With 1092 versions available in 780 different languages this apps mission is to reach the world with the Word of God and get people to read it. And with nearly 200,000,000 installs they are doing a pretty good job of it.

The app has dozens, if not hundreds, of reading plans to choose from to help you on your way. I personally have completed 13, including 2 that took me through the whole Bible in a year. Highlight and note taking features are available to further deepen study time, and for scripture sharing features to share to social media this app is unparalleled. It’s not just about reading the Word, it’s about sharing the Word. It’s now the first app I look for in any app store, and my daily companion.

They just did a major update in design and a little while ago added a feature to easily add scriptures to images to share to social media.

If there is only one app I’d suggest to someone, it’s this one.

YouVersion is available for Apple, Android, Windows, and Blackberry phones as well as available on tablets and on the web. For more info check out their website.

PrayerMate

How often do we hear about someone’s need, say “I’m praying!” and then never actually pray? Enter PrayerMate. At it’s most basic this app is a prayer list, but instead of just being another list it helps you really focus by offering up a selection of “cards” from your prayer lists that you can scroll through every day.

You can put expiration dates on some requests so that after a certain point they archive themselves, save scriptures to pray, and subscribe to feeds from different ministries to pray for world issues. I’m on a couple different prayer teams in my church, and this app helps me to do more than just read through an e-mail list of requests once, but rather take actual time every day to lift up the needs of the people I’ve committed to pray for.

PrayerMate is available for both Apple and Android and also has services so Churches can make their own prayer list streams people can subscribe to.

Remember Me

This one I still am learning to use, but the idea of it is something I think is crucial.

Scripture Memory.

It’s a pretty awesome app. Save a scripture you want to memorize and it will give you several “games” to help you practice it, and when you’re ready to try to quote it, the app will record you saying your memory verse, and then, with a tap, offer you the passage and play back your voice so you can check your accuracy.

Committing scripture to memory is a lost art in the church these days, with many not realizing how important a practice this can be. I’m so thankful to those who pushed me to memorize scripture as a child and teen, but in my adult life I’ve gotten out of the practice. With this app I hope to change that.

Remember Me is available for Apple, Android, Kindle, Blackberry, and Windows Devices! So get memorizing!

Gratitude Journal

Reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp last year revolutionized my life in many ways, and impressed on me the need to keep a gratitude journal. This app fills that need in a quick, digital way. It’s stripped down and simple, open it up, type out what you are grateful for, and click the red button that says “Yes, I am grateful” You can also add a picture, and have the app send you notifications to remind you to use it throughout the day.

Scrolling through the history can really help my perspective shift back to what it should be at times. It’s a simple app, and a simple act, that has much farther reaching affects than we often realize.

This app is available for Android.

However, Ann Voskamp has her own app available for iphone, called One Thousand Gifts, so if you have an iphone, check it out and tell me what you think!

Pandora

Pandora certainly is not a “Christian” app, but it is easy enough to make a channel based in worship music. Music really feeds you, and I’m rather passionate about our understanding of how much it can influence you. Turning on some worship music helps focus the mind, quiet the spirit, and get your heart in the right place in the middle of a busy, chaotic world.

Pandora is available everywhere isn’t it?

K-LOVE

For similar reasons to the above about music, this app also affords you the addition of a Christian radio station that shares scripture and encouragement, and even has a prayer team ready to take your call. Plug: the K-LOVE offices are rather close by to me, and I know some people who work there. They are good people! 🙂

Available for Android and iPhone.

Joyce Meyer

Sometimes you just need some perspective and some teaching. I really enjoy Joyce Meyer, and though I don’t listen in every day, sometimes I find that her down to earth teaching style is just the kick I need to get me going. The app makes it easy to listen in or watch.

For more from Joyce Meyer check out her website.

So that is my Seven! And yes, I totally learned how to take screenshots for this post.

This is a pretty basic collection covering a range of types, and I hope it inspires you to see if you can use your phone in new ways to help you grow in your devotion time. From daily verses to add to your screen, to different theological leaders putting out daily studies, there is so much here we can use!

So lets start looking at these pieces of technology we so often always have at hand these days as more than just another thing to play games on, another time waster, and start finding ways to use them to help us grow!

Do you have some apps you would like to recommend? Please Share in the comments!