August 11
The Screen That Stole
Her Soul
"But put God’s kingdom first. Do what he wants you to do. Then all those things will also be given to you."
Matthew 6:33 (NIrV)
Gillian’s eyes burned as she scrolled through her phone, the screen’s blue glow the only light in her dark bedroom. She had told herself she would just check a few things—maybe reply to a text, watch a short video, scroll for a minute or two. But that minute had stretched into an hour. Then two.
Her mind felt wired, yet exhausted. Her heart raced from the endless flood of content, yet she felt hollow. It was always the same—click, scroll, like, repeat.
And prayer? She couldn’t remember the last time she had whispered even a simple thank you, Lord before bed.
She told herself she was too tired. That she’d make time for God tomorrow. But tomorrow would come, and the cycle would repeat. Phone in hand, dopamine hits firing, and God—well, God could wait.
The alarm blared far too soon. Gillian groaned, fumbling for her phone. Before she even sat up, she was already back at it—checking messages, reading notifications, drowning in an ocean of endless information.
Time slipped away, just like it had last night. Now, she was rushing. No time to pray. No time to sit in silence with God. Just a quick shower, a half-eaten breakfast, and another day wasted on a screen.
One evening, after another mindless scrolling session, she looked at the time—1:48 AM. She had work in a few hours. Her body ached for sleep, but she couldn’t stop. It was like something had its claws in her.
Then, out of nowhere, a video popped up. A preacher was speaking:
"Some of you wake up and the first thing you do is check your phone. The last thing you do before bed is check your phone. And you wonder why you feel lost. When was the last time you reached for God first?"
The words slammed into her.
She put the phone down, heart pounding. When was the last time?
Tears welled up in her eyes. She had given the best of her time, energy, and attention to a lifeless screen. She had trained her heart to crave an artificial high instead of the presence of God.
Shame twisted in her gut, but then came something else—conviction.
She reached for her phone, but this time, she didn’t open another app. She powered it off. Set it aside.
Then, for the first time in what felt like forever, she knelt beside her bed.
"God," she whispered, "I don’t want this to have control over me anymore. I want You to be first. Help me turn back to You."
As she lay down that night, there was no screen, no buzzing, no flood of distractions—just quiet. Just peace.
For the first time in years, she fell asleep with her soul at rest.
Prayer:
Lord, I confess that I have filled my time with distractions and neglected what truly matters—You.
Help me to break free from the things that steal my attention and put You first in my life.
Teach me to crave Your presence more than any empty pleasure this world can offer.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
