According to the latest research, people spend as much as 11 hours interacting with their phones each day. That means people are spending the bulk of their waking time online.
If you’re going to be looking at your phone anyway, I suggest making sure that God’s word is a part of your online experience. There are several fantastic applications that can help you grow your faith in God.
These are my top 5 spiritual apps for your phone.
OliveTree Bible App
OliveTree is the first Bible application that I ever downloaded to my phone. Like many of the Bible apps out there, you can choose between versions, adjust font settings, colors, and take notes. Another great feature is that you can purchase additional commentaries and books for study. When logged in, OliveTree saves your preferences, notes, and settings so that you can switch between the mobile version and versions for Mac and Windows.
OliveTree.com has quite additional resources as well, including Bible study materials, downloadable books, and audio books. Once you have created an account, your accounts will synchronize between web and mobile app. It’s a solid tool.
Cost: Free, with in-app purchases. Available for iOS, Android, tablets, Mac OS, and Windows.
Blue Letter Bible
When it comes to diving deep into the Bible, Blue Letter Bible is hands-down the most indispensable app you own. You can read over 30 different versions of the Bible, get access to Greek and Hebrew text, read commentaries, take notes, and perform advanced word searches. It is a workhorse app, and I use it every single week while I’m preparing my sermons.
Blue Letter Bible seems geared to a more scholarly crowd, and if there’s any drawback, it’s the interface. The BLB team has put so much into the app that it’s a little clunky to navigate. It’s not terrible; I’m just saying there’s a small learning curve involved.
Cost: Free. Supported by donations. Available on the web and for iOS and Android platforms.
Dwell Audio Bible
The Dwell Bible app is by far the most elegant of all the Bible listening apps. The interface is gorgeous, the voices and music are sophisticated, and every setting can be tweaked so that your listening experience is enhanced. For example, you get to select which voice you want to hear (there are four to choose from), and you decide on background music to listen to if any, and you can even mix the volume of all elements to your exact liking.
There are a ton of listening options that take you through sections of the Bible. There’s a cost to use all of the features of the app, but it’s worth it.
Cost: Limited free version, $24.99 per year or $124.99 lifetime. Available for iOS and Android.
She Reads Truth
She Reads Truth is a Bible app designed specifically for women. What makes it unique is that the app helps women connect with other women. The layout is visually appealing and features free and paid Bible reading plans. I love the fact that there is a Bible app specifically designed for women. I’m not saying women and men can’t use and benefit from the same apps. That would be ridiculous. But I’m intrigued about presenting the Bible in such a way that it makes it extra applicable for ladies.
The app also synchronizes with the She Reads Truth web site, which is handy. You can start your study at home and continue while reading at work or on the go.
Cost: Free with in-app purchases available.
YouVersion
You can’t talk about Bible apps without mentioning YouVersion. It is by far the most popular Bible app available and is downloaded once every 1.1 seconds. Wow!
YouVersion started as a project of LifeChurch.tv. They hoped to leverage technology as a way to connect people through Scripture. One feature that sets YouVersion apart from other apps is the fact that you can join others during a church worship service, create sharable verse art, see sermon outlines, answer questions, and participate in surveys.
The app also features multiple guided scripture plans. For example, if you want to read about prayer, you can choose between numerous studies, many written by well-known Bible teachers and pastors. You can read guided plans on marriage, anxiety, doubt, joy, hope, and many others. Lastly, the developers of YouVersion also have a Bible app for kids.
Cost: Free
see sermon outlines,… Where is that? I have been using this app every day almost from the beginning of January.
i read, I pray. I write. I post.
But sometimes I have to go to Mathew Henry’s information – to understand better. I would love to know where the sermon notes are.
Hi Janis,
The sermon outlines would be something that your pastor or teacher ‘might’ load into YouVersion ahead of time. I used to do it, but not enough people were using the app live while I was teaching.
Thanks for reading!
I use Blue Letter a lot right now. I also have used YouVerse but I will admit not since Art became really ill. I am going to check out some of the others you mentioned.