About six months ago, we gave our daughter a phone. And life will never be the same. Parenting has become all about trying to help her be smart, safe, and healthy as she enters the world of digital technology. 

On one hand, we like that the phone allows her to have more freedom, since we can stay connected when she’s not with us. And she loves being able to feel connected to her friends when she’s not with them. 

On the other hand, it feels like we’re steering our family ship through rocky shallows—dangers are everywhere. There are the obvious dangers of predators, social media addiction, online bullying… But there are also the subtler dangers, like not getting enough sleep, self-isolation, and putting all the dishes away in the wrong places because she was texting the entire time instead of paying attention to what she was doing. 

Trying to help my teen daughter navigate the world of digital technology is also helping me notice where my own weak spots are. Too often, I’m only giving my kids half of my attention. There are mornings when I sit down for my quiet time and end up never opening my Bible because I get sucked into reading articles online. 

Technology isn’t inherently bad. You’re reading this article on a phone or computer right now. And maybe after this you’ll listen to a sermon on Spotify or check in with your mom across the  country. There are lots of convenience and good things that technology can bring us. 

We do need to be careful that, as Christians, we don’t let digital technology become an idol or a distraction from our relationship with God. And of course there’s the question of whether our online interactions would meet the standard of “aiming for harmony and trying to build each other up” (Romans 14:19). 

Obviously, these aren’t all the pitfalls of technology (nor all the benefits). The point is, all of us—you, me, our kids, and our brothers and sisters around the world—need Christ to be Lord of this important aspect of our lives. The first step is to give it to God in prayer.

Will you pray with me now?

Pray in accordance with Philippians 4:8 that the people of God would set our minds and hearts on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy. 

Pray that Christians around the world would follow Jesus’ example of spending time alone and “unplugged” with our Heavenly Father. 

Many sites and services are designed to create addiction or shunt visitors into extremist views. Pray that people would be aware of these practices and not taken in. Pray that appropriate regulations would be put in place to protect the vulnerable, and especially to shield children and adolescents from predatory practices. 

These are just a few of the ways we can pray about digital technology. You can find a more complete set of ideas on our prayer card. We’d love for you to keep this issue in prayer throughout this month. 

We also did a post just about the issue of online pornography and how it’s harming families. 

Thanks for praying with us.