When talking about distractions, many people—myself included—like to partly blame technology. Our phones are an endless feedback loop of notifications that demand responses, which, in turn, incite new notifications. And that’s only one example of the pervasive technological white noise we wrestle with every day.

The world is smaller, louder, more crowded. The idea of quiet time—not to mention regular quiet time—sounds like a pipe dream. If you’re anything like me, you struggle just to pray without losing the distraction battle. Actually sitting down and reading the Bible gets pushed to the periphery. I usually don’t open the Bible until I’m in bed, and if I comprehend anything while I’m half asleep, it’s a small miracle. The rest of the day has been a buzz of activity, and now it’s over. Maybe tomorrow…

But technology can also be our key to beating distractions. After all: God can use anything for his glory. Many people learn or comprehend best when engaging with the material in multiple ways at the same time. Our Scripture Engagement page is designed exclusively to introduce you to memorable methods of interacting with Scripture. The method I’m talking about isn’t anything fancy. But it is practical.

It’s common knowledge that most people learn and retain information better when reading and listening simultaneously. That’s exactly what our free Bible Audio App is designed to do. It provides the words as it reads them to you. You can download the Bible Audio App on your mobile device in iOS or Android and listen wherever you go.

You might think that sounds simple, and it is, but it’s also one of the best ways to engage with Scripture, especially when trudging through difficult, long, or repetitive passages. I might never have made it all the way through Isaiah without Bible Gateway’s Bible Audio App. I’ve found that I can tackle vast sections of Scripture in a single sitting. It’s my belief that doing this better equips you to understand the Bible.

Listen all the way through Acts in a sitting, for example, and you might realize how riveting and cohesive a story it is—how it sprang forth from the gospel. Listen to all four Gospels in a week or a month, and you can better recognize the patterns and similarities of those four accounts. Without audio, I, for one, might never have had the inclination to do that.

The fact is, we often create our own distractions. When we set aside time to read the Bible, we often have the best intentions or resolutions at the outset. However, when we start reading, our minds begin to wander within the span of a chapter or two, and reasons begin to pile up in us for not going on. But when we listen to an audio version of the Bible while we read along, we’ve essentially doubled our efforts and our ability to concentrate.

God wants to speak to us through his words. So, plunge yourself into those words. Surround yourself with the Bible. Take it into your soul with all your senses with Bible Gateway’s Bible Audio App.

What are you missing out on by not being a member of Bible Gateway Plus?