Unplugging to Plug into God | Battle Drill Devotional (5-Minute Salvation Army Devotional)

Friday 8 August 2025

Learn how practicing regular digital fasts can deepen your prayer life, strengthen family relationships, and restore awareness of God's presence in Battle Drill Daily Devotional.

#BattleDrillDaily #SalvationArmyFaith #DigitalSabbath #ScreenDetox #SacredStillness

With UK users spending over one day weekly on screens and 50% believing they're addicted to phones, God's invitation in Psalm 46:10 becomes radically countercultural: "Be still, and know that I am God!" This simple command challenges our hyperconnected culture where genuine stillness feels impossible.

Pastor Darren Whitehead's Nashville church launched a 28-day digital fast with 10,000 members, expanding to over 100 churches with 100,000+ participants. The progression helped people transition from FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) to JOMO (Joy of Missing Out), with participants reporting deeper prayer life, better family relationships, and improved focus.

Jesus modelled this rhythm perfectly - despite pressing ministry demands, he regularly withdrew from accessibility for solitude with the Father. If the Son of God needed disconnected moments, how much more do we? Digital Sabbath isn't anti-technology legalism but positive soul stewardship.

Constant scrolling prevents the processing, reflection, and spiritual listening that produce genuine rest. The Hebrew word for "be still" literally means "cease striving" - choosing trust over anxiety, presence over productivity, relationship over performance.

Scripture Focus: Psalm 46:10 (NLT) Practical Challenge: Practice a 24-hour digital Sabbath this week - turn off non-essential devices from sunset Friday until sunset Saturday.

Discover how regular digital fasting can transform your relationship with God and restore awareness of his constant presence.

You can read this week's devotionals by downloading them from here - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/uym4d6ommae6kczxpnk2n/250803.pdf?rlkey=380ca2uz5z26o6aov5oq98it4&dl=0

For more devotionals and resources, visit video.battledrilldevotional.com. Prefer listening? Check out our audio devotionals at battledrilldevotional.com.

Thanks for watching Battle Drill Daily Devotional, where each weekday I share short, 5-minute Christian devotionals to help you stay spiritually strong and battle-ready for life’s challenges. Hosted by Salvation Army officer Rob Westwood-Payne, this podcast brings daily encouragement and biblical insights to believers of all backgrounds.

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Episode Transcript

(00:19):
What if the
very devices designed to make lifeeasier
are actually making genuine restimpossible?
Recent statistics from Ofcom
revealed the average user in the UK
now spends overone day a week on screens,
with over 50% of them believingthey're addicted to their phones.

(00:43):
God's invitation
cuts through this digital noise.
He still
and know that I am God.
Psalm 46, verse ten.
This simple command
has become radically countercultural.

(01:03):
Pastor Darren Whitehead's NashvilleChurch of the city
launched a 28 day digital fastwith 10,000 members,
expanding to over 100 churches
with 100,000 plus participants.
The four week progressionhelped people transfer transition
from FOMO, Fear of Missing Out

(01:26):
to Jomo Joy of missing Out.
With participantsreporting a deeper prayer life,
better familyrelationships, and improved focus.
Jesus, of
course, modeled this rhythm perfectly
despite the pressing ministrydemands around him the crowds

(01:46):
seeking healing, the disciplesneeding teaching, and so much more.
He regularly withdrewfrom accessibility
for solitude with the father.
Now, if the Son of God needed thesetwo disconnected
moments, then how much more do we?
Deciding to take?
A digital Sabbath isn't about fallinginto anti-technology legalism.

(02:12):
It's positive soul stewardship.
Constant scrolling preventsthe processing, the reflection,
and the spiritual listeningthat produce
genuine rest.
The Faith tech community'sDigital Sabbath Challenge
provides weekly reminder emailsfocusing on rest,

(02:34):
prayer, familytime, and spiritual reflection
based on those words of Jesusfrom Matthew chapter 11 verse 28.
Come to me, all you
who are weary and burdened,and I will give you rest.
I've just signed up for mine.
What about you?

(02:57):
Here's what I've discovered
through practicingregular digital fasts.
The first few hours dofeel uncomfortable.
We reach reflexive for devicesseeking
the dopamine hitsfrom our notifications.
But as the noise subsides.
Something beautiful emerges.

(03:18):
An awareness of God's presence
that was always there
but couldn't be perceivedthrough all the loudness.
The Hebrew word for peace
still literally means cease striving.
It's choosing trust over anxiety.

(03:40):
Choosing presence over productivity,
choosing relationshipover performance.
Stillness isn't emptiness.
It's fullness.
It's creating spacefor the God who is already present
to make himself known in ways
that our busy mindsjust cannot perceive.

(04:04):
So why don't you practice
a 24 hour digital Sabbath this week?
Turn off all non-essential devices
from sunset on Fridayuntil sunset on Saturday
as we finish today.
Consider this.
How might regular digital fasting

(04:25):
change your relationship with God?