Daily Devotional with First5

For years, I've struggled to be consistent with a daily "quiet time" or devotional. Somehow, I can't seem to make just a few minutes with the Lord a priority. There are plenty of other things I do each day...

check Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest...

drink coffee...

cook dinner...

shower, get dressed, and put on makeup...

and yet somehow I often neglect to read the Word and pray for even a few moments of the day.
Recently, I discovered First5, an iPhone app that has worked wonders in my devotional consistency. Each day, I wake up to a five-minute devotional, short prayer, and thought for the day. The Scripture for the day is included right in with the reading, so everything I need is right on my iPhone.

Probably the biggest reason I have been consistent with this is because it is not intimidating. It's so easy to get overwhelmed by the idea of a 30-minute time with the Lord—particularly on days that begin first thing in the morning. Five minutes, though? That sounds doable. And for the past several weeks, it has been!

Each daily reading includes a pretty image of the main thought of the devotional. It's always an encouragement to be consistent with something when it's pretty!

Another part of this app that I love is the built-in alarm clock. You can set your alarms for each day of the week, and slide to the daily devotional reading first thing in the morning. While I would ideally like to spend more time than this in the Word, it is a great habit to get me started!

You can download the app here... for free!