Guardians of Ancora
Apple/Android
Free

‘The city of Ancora used to glow with the light of a thousand stories. Now these tales are gone and the Spire grows dim, but some still search for stories, to relight the Spire once more. They are called the Guardians of Ancora!’

So begins Guardians of Ancora (GoA), an app-based digital game produced by Scripture Union as part of their vision for ‘millions of children worldwide to have daily opportunities to discover Jesus and engage with the Bible’.

Aimed at 8–11 year olds and styled as a ‘parkour [free running] adventure game’, GoA allows players to make their way through around 30 ‘lost stories’ from the Bible and so help the citizens of the mythical world of Ancora. As a result, children discover the big story of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation.

GoA is highly rated for its quality gameplay and design, as well as its Bible engagement. It won Premier Digital’s 2017 ‘App of the Year’ and ‘Most Innovative Use of Media in Outreach’ awards. Staggeringly, the app is entirely free with no in-app purchases or adverts.

As well as the captivating plot and main gameplay, there are fun extra features like sticker prayers, Bible quizzes, customisable characters, as well as an audio Bible section and bonus videos. Thankfully, up to three player profiles can be stored on one device, allowing siblings to engage individually. ‘Parent accounts’ even allow adults to receive updates about a child’s activity, plus ideas and suggestions for following up on their game-playing.

This is an excellent resource and I could see the app being utilised by parents, kids’-group leaders, school teachers, and even in church services. As one child put it: ‘When you play the game, it helps you learn about the Bible in a really active way.’

Bonus: Guardians of Ancora is also available in Welsh, Arwyr Ancora!

Find out more/download via the website here.

A version of this article was first published here in the July 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.

Lectio 365
Apple/Android
Free

Lectio 365 aims to help you ‘pray the Bible every day’ and has quickly established itself as one of the most popular Christian apps in the UK since its launch at Advent 2019. Its name and format is inspired by the ancient practice of meditating on Scripture, Lectio Divina (Latin for ‘divine reading’).

Each day there is a morning reflection, following four stages, P.R.A.Y: Pause; Rejoice with a Psalm and Reflect on Scripture; Ask for God’s help; Yield to His will. Each day’s reflection appears as a written text, but is also offered read aloud by the author, with an accompanying instrumental soundtrack. There are certain prayers and phrases that appear everyday to structure the reflection. The recording takes no more than 10 minutes. 

Created by Pete Greig and 24-7 Prayer, all the Lectio 365 reflections are written by 24-7 Prayer team members or guests. Generally there is an author/theme for the week and apparently these focus on 24-7 Prayer’s six core values: prayer, mission, justice, creativity, hospitality and learning. In the short time I’ve listened, I’ve found these engaging, encouraging and accessible. Naturally with an app like this, I guess much will depend on the writers. To my knowledge, the reflections rarely work through a Bible book over an extended period, but are more thematic. I’ve got friends who are avid fans, friends who dip in and out (especially when they’re ‘on the go’ and value a spoken reflection), and friends who’ve found it ‘hit and miss’.

Since April 2021, there is also a daily Night Prayer reflection, based on the Examen pattern of prayer. This has a contemplative feel and has four elements: Reflect; Rejoice; Repent; Rest. 

Lectio 265 is an incredible resource, especially given it is free. The desire to help busy people create ‘holy rhythms’, and the prayerful spirit in which Scripture is approached, make it a real gift. As with many apps, the reflections can be downloaded in advance and reminder notifications can also be set. I especially love Greig’s opening prayer, used at the beginning of each morning reflection: ‘As I enter prayer now, I pause to be still; to breathe slowly; to re-centre my scattered senses upon the presence of God.’

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A version of this article was first published here in the June 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.

Live From Rest:
Apple/Android
Free

Blaise Pascal famously said: ‘All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone’

Into this frantic and addictive restlessness, the Live from Rest app offers an invitation to the practice of Biblical meditation ‘rooted in the way of Jesus’. As the app slogan puts it: ‘In a world obsessed with doing, we are discovering the ancient art of being’.

In essence the app allows you to customise a range of spoken-word meditations, with a variety of themes, backing tracks and lengths. Father and son duo Steve and Joshua Luke Smith say they created the app because ‘they needed it’. Instinctively we can find ourselves busily rushing through life to get to rest, rather than living from rest. Their burden is to help Christians ‘find and maintain a place of peace’ by discovering the ‘rhythm of rest God always intended you to have’.

I’m sure Live from Rest offers something that many readers won’t be used to. Whilst the creators are unashamed about the ‘up front’ role Scripture plays in the meditations, it is intentionally not a ‘study-based’ approach to the Bible. Passages are read out in the context of a themed reflection, and then gently explored in dulcet tones, perhaps with calming synths or birdsong in the background.

Often the meditations will also reference breathing and body positions, with a recognition that we are embodied creatures. I know evangelical friends who have found this holistic focus both refreshing and rewarding. These are bitesize and accessible and could be done on a commute, a lunch-break, or while a toddler naps.

Steve Smith is a medical doctor specialising in addiction, and one of the strengths of the meditations is the collection on ‘freedom’. There are meditations on battling shame, pornography and lust, anger, and over-eating. These include prayers of confession and repentance; the language is often framed as choosing truth and ‘breaking agreement’ with lies.

A minor quibble was that once you download the app, you have to share your email address before you can access it. As someone keen to trial the app, this rather put me off and didn’t feel too restful a welcome!

A lot of wisdom, expertise and skill has gone into the app, and it is now all available for free. Pastorally, my instinct is that, as a part of someone’s devotional practice, Live from Rest will undoubtedly holistically enrich a Christian’s life.

The Live From Rest website is here.

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A version of this article was first published here in the May 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.