This Fast, Swap Your Apps
February 18 – April 2, 2026. Forty days.
Lent is a time we fast for 40 days as we prepare our hearts for Easter. It isn’t about powering through 40 days without Instagram. When we give something up without replacing it, our thumb will find somewhere else to scroll.
The better move: swap the mindless for the meaningful.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” — Romans 12:2 (BSB)
Snapchat → Marco Polo
Marco Polo. Video walkie-talkie with friends and family. No streaks, no algorithm, no vanishing messages. Just real conversations.
Facebook / Instagram → TUVU or ActsSocial (or Nothing)
TUVU. Ad-free. No data selling. You’re the customer, not the product. Also: ActsSocial, BePerk, Grow, or the radical option... no social media at all for 40 days.
Doom Scrolling → Scroll the Bible
Scroll the Bible. Same scrolling motion. Scripture instead of outrage.
Or, if you’re up for a fun challenge, speed read the Bible with Bible Speed Read.
Don’t fight the scroll. Redeem it.
See also: YouVersion Bible App, ReadScripture, Redeeming Time.
Netflix → Angel Studios or VidAngel
Angel Studios — home of The Chosen. Crowd-funded storytelling that amplifies light. VidAngel — filter language, nudity, and violence from your existing streaming platforms.
For families: Minno, Yippee TV. More at faith.tools/streaming-services.
Headspace / Calm → Abide, Hallow, or Soulspace
Secular meditation empties your mind. Christian meditation fills it.
Abide for morning prayers. Hallow for 10,000+ guided prayer sessions. Soulspace for reflective daily meditations. Plus Pause, Glorify, Pray.com, Lectio 365.
“Be still and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10 (BSB)
Mindless Gaming → Lordle, Versle, Bible Memory
Versle — Wordle for Bible verses. Lordle — daily Bible trivia. Bible Memory App — memorize Scripture interactively. Or, try Wrinkly Bible Memory. Five minutes a day, 40 days. It adds up.
Spotify → Worship
K-LOVE. Gabb Music for families. PRAZOR for Christian playlists. More at faith.tools/music.
What if your soundtrack for 40 days was worship?
Morning News → A Daily Devotional
Headlines train your brain for anxiety. Scripture trains it for peace.
First 5 — five minutes with God before anything else. Glorify. She Reads Truth / He Reads Truth. Through the Word. More at faith.tools/daily-devotional-quiet-time.
For news that doesn’t spike your cortisol: The Pour Over.
Why This Works
The number 40 isn’t arbitrary. It’s a biblical pattern — testing, stripping away, then breakthrough:
Noah: 40 days of rain → new creation
Moses: 40 days fasting on Sinai → the Law
Israel: 40 years in the wilderness → the Promised Land
Jesus: 40 days fasting → launched His ministry
Lent follows the same arc. Not punishment. Preparation.
The Three Pillars
The app swaps above cover two of Lent’s three pillars:
Fasting — replacing habits that distract with ones that draw you to God.
Prayer — building a daily rhythm of turning toward Him.
Almsgiving — serving the poor and needy as an act of charity and compassion.
The third, almsgiving — no app can do it for you. What could you do with the hours you reclaim? Volunteer. Give. Show up for a neighbor. The time you get back from quitting doom scrolling is time you could spend loving people right in front of you.
“When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that your fasting will not be obvious to men, but only to your Father, who is unseen.” — Matthew 6:17-18 (BSB)
Jesus went into the wilderness to prepare, not to perform. He came out “in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14) and immediately started serving.
These 40 days are your wilderness. Strip away the noise. Ask what’s filling your life and whether it’s drawing you closer to God.
“You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” — Jeremiah 29:13 (BSB)
Trade the scroll for the Word. The feed for the fellowship. The noise for the stillness.
Discover more at faith.tools. Drafted with AI, guided by Cameron Pak, founder of faith.tools.
Updated 2026-02-18 ~11pm CT: There was a lot of app links that were incorrect. I’m sorry. Problem fixed.
Hey Cam, great list and you're doing amazing work with faithtools.
PS: I've submitted my daily Bible word games, MannaWord and CrossWorth to faithtools and pray ot gets approved soon. Thank you 🙏