App Review: Redeeming Time

‘Wasting Time’ with God…

REDEEMING TIME:
Apple/Android
Free

What do you do with the little moments?

How often do you reach for your smartphone during the ‘little moments’ of the day. Making the tea? Stuck in a queue? In the bathroom?! I recently noticed how I’d even begun to instinctively look at my phone as I went up and down the stairs!

And more often than not, what are we doing during that time? Checking email? Glancing through Facebook? Browsing BBC News on the off chance there’s a new story added since we last checked. Of course, all this time adds up! 2019 figures suggested the average user spent 2 hours 22 minutes on social media each day. Just think what else you could do with that time!

Don’t waste your time

A few years ago Crossway published this Infographic showing how long it would take you to read each book of the Bible, based on average reading speeds. It’s a compelling image, because it inevitably highlights that the small amounts of time we whittle away on other things are an opportunity to get through a lot of the Bible. Twelve minutes a day and we’d read the whole Bible in a year!

And this is the premise behind Redeeming Time. James Doc, a Christian web developer, and Andy Geers, founder of PrayerMate, have created a delightfully simple app that really has one goal: to show you how you can ‘redeem’ small amounts of time to read the Bible, rather than squander it on other things.

How long have you got?

The app has a simple welcome screen that invites you to select how much time you have available. Whether it’s two minutes or an hour, the app will then present you with a list of which Bible books you could read during that time.

For example, enter five minutes and you’ll get invited to read Obadiah, Jude or Philemon. Twenty-five minutes and it’ll suggest you try the likes of Amos, Lamentations, or Galatians. After making your choice, the app opens up the chosen Scripture from Bible Gateway. As you begin to scroll and read, it logs where you’re up to so that you can return later part-way through. Everytime you complete a Bible book, it presents you with some helpful reflection questions.

If you expect a full-blown Bible-reading app with bells and whistles, you’ll be disappointed. Redeeming Time doesn’t aim to take on responsibility for the extent of your personal Bible reading programme. But it does make a simple point, with a practical call to action: read the word and redeem that time!

More info on Redeeming Time here.

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A version of this article was first published here in the February 2021 Issue of Evangelicals Now and is shared here with permission. EN is a monthly newspaper published in print and online, offering a biblical perspective on current issues and insight on what’s happening with God’s people worldwide. Online subscription is just £10 p/a with print & online combined for just £18. Order a free sample or subscribe here.