Put the Word
before the world.
A morning devotional that gently locks distracting apps until you've spent time in Scripture.
"Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."Matthew 6:33
The scroll
gets there first.
You reach for your phone and Instagram, X, or the news is already talking. You meant to start with Scripture. The other apps just asked less of you.
Nothing
counted.
Every gamified devotional punishes a missed Tuesday. Word First counts nothing — not days, not minutes. Show up when you can; skip when you can't.
No willpower
required.
The apps you pick stay locked until you've spent a few minutes in the day's reading. When the candle goes out, they unlock for the rest of the day.
Three steps. Every morning.
One small loop: the Word first, then the world. Word First is the only app that makes Scripture the key that unlocks your phone.
Choose your apps
Pick the apps that usually steal your morning — social, news, games. From then on, the day's Scripture is the only thing that unlocks them. No other devotional app does this.
Light the candle
Open the day's reading and a candle begins to burn — not a countdown, not a streak. Five minutes or forty; the flame keeps pace, never a stopwatch.
The world unlocks
When the candle goes out, a quiet "Completed today" mark appears and your apps return for the rest of the day. Nothing counted, nothing to break.
A candle, not a counter.
Every other devotional app shows you a streak counter — a number you're terrified to break. Word First shows you a candle. It lights when you read. It waits when you don't.
Burns while you read
The flame marks your time — even minutes spent praying in the Prayer Library count. Five or forty; the candle keeps pace, not a stopwatch.
Unlocks the world
When it goes out, your locked apps come back. The Word, then the world — every morning.
Visible to your companions
Once today's candle is lit, the friends in your ring can see it. Presence — not a leaderboard.
Goes quiet when you do
Miss a day, miss a week. No badge of shame. The candle is just unlit, waiting.
Five things, done quietly well.
Block what distracts. Start with God. Go deeper than you expected. The rest follows.
Distracting apps stay locked until you've read.
You pick the apps. You pick the schedule — once a day, twice, or up to four times. The day's Scripture is the only key.
Every morning begins with God.
One curated reading a day — a verse, a reflection, a prayer. The candle is your timer. Five minutes or forty; your call.
Read the original Hebrew and Greek — in your translation.
A short word study on every reading, with historical context from named voices in Christian history. Read every verse in NIV, ESV, KJV, WEB, or ASV. The language of Scripture, made approachable.
Hide Scripture word by word.
A passage with progressively blanked words. Tap to reveal. Repeatable practice — no shame, no streaks, no flashcard app.
Keep the verses that speak to you.
A heart, a shelf, no cloud upload. Saved verses and bookmarked readings live on two quiet shelves — and stay on your device. Yours. Put one on your lock screen and it greets you before you unlock.
"I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages."
Every reading now carries a short excerpt from the great commentators — Matthew Henry, Spurgeon, Wesley, Barnes and seventeen more — gently modernized, honestly attributed. 388 excerpts across the catalog, plus 1,474 cross-references in Related Passages.
Three quiet ways the app shows up the rest of the day.
Not three more features to manage — three answers to moments where every other Bible app makes you feel worse.
You don't have to read alone.
Invite 1–3 people you trust. When you've read today, your candle is lit for them to see. When they've read, you see theirs. No messages. No streaks. No group chat to keep up with.
- A ring of 1–3 people, synced over your iCloud
- Only your name and read time are ever shared
- No notifications about who's behind whom
- Sign in with Apple — no separate account
A gate, not a wall.
The block bends when life asks it to. Read from a paper Bible this morning? Tell the app so. Genuinely need a locked app right now? Take five minutes, no shame copy. And if you'd like, an optional lamp returns at sundown.
- Mood-aware mornings — heavy, hopeful, anxious, weary, peaceful
- Trust unlock — "Or, I read elsewhere today" for the offline mornings
- Emergency unlock — 5 minutes, 15, or the rest of today. No shame.
- Evening lamp — an opt-in sundown ritual, if you want one
A year of mornings, not a streak.
Every passage you read, every verse you saved, every note you wrote — all of it lives in a quiet archive you can scroll back through. Even the days you missed. Especially those.
- Full archive of every reading — searchable by topic or date
- Empty days are visible but never punished
- Bookmarks for verses worth returning to
- Personal notes saved alongside each passage
Everything in the box.
Crafted for the morning. Every feature exists to deepen your walk with God — not to keep you in the app longer.
App Blocking
Apple Screen Time API locks the apps you choose until you've finished today's reading. No workarounds.
The Candle Timer
A flame burns while you read. When it goes out, your apps unlock. The whole product, in one prop.
Companions
Up to three people, synced over iCloud. You see their candle, they see yours — timed to a 15-minute bucket. No chat, no streaks, no leaderboard.
372 Devotionals
Hand-crafted readings across 22 topics. More than a year without repeating. Scripture, reflection, prayer.
Emergency Unlock
Sometimes you really need a blocked app right now. Five minutes, fifteen, or the rest of today — no shame copy, apps re-shield on their own.
Go DeeperNew
Original Hebrew or Greek word study on every reading — now with Voices from History and Related Passages: 388 commentary excerpts, 1,474 cross-references.
Verse Memorization
Save any verse and practice with a word-reveal system. Hide his words in your heart, not a flashcard app.
Prayer Library
500+ prayers — 8 biblical prayers and 494 daily prayers across 18 categories. Search by synonym; deep-linked from any reading.
Year of Mornings
Full archive of every reading, including the days you missed. A year of presence, not a year of streaks.
Five TranslationsNew
Read in NIV, ESV, KJV, WEB, or ASV — your choice applies to every verse. Tap any reference for the full KJV chapter, target verse highlighted in gold.
Private by default
No account required for the core app. Your readings, reflections, and prayers stay on your device — between you and God.
Lock Screen Widget
Today's verse, your saved verse, or the candle's status — right on your lock screen. Glance, don't unlock.
Something for every season.
22 topics covering the full range of the Christian life. Search by what's on your heart — or let it surprise you.
372 readings. 388 historical commentary excerpts. 17 voices from Christian history. 502 prayers across 18 categories. One year, without repeating.
What we don't collect.
Most of this app never touches a server. We led with the absences because they're the point.
Never leaves your device
- What you read, when, and how long
- Journal entries and reflections
- Saved verses, bookmarks, favorites
- Mood selections and your year-of-mornings history
- Which apps you block, and your lock history
And there's no…
- Advertisements inside the app
- Devotional content in any advertising or analytics payload
- Location, contacts, microphone, or camera access
- Verse text or journal text in the cloud, ever
Because devotional activity can reveal what someone believes, we keep it out of every event that leaves the app. Read the full Privacy Policy for the complete list of what each provider receives, and how to request deletion.
Accountability, not surveillance.
A quiet daily rhythm — built on a few deliberate refusals.
What this is not
- Parental controls — this is self-blocking
- Gamified with streaks, badges, or levels
- A community platform, feed, or group chat
- A Bible reader for going chapter by chapter
- A sermon or podcast streaming app
- A productivity app to cut your screen time
What this is
- A personal choice — no one makes you use it
- A quiet daily rhythm, just between you and God
- Accountability that lives on your device only
- Crafted content from someone who has lived it
- A small ring of friends who light a candle, never a thread
- About eleven cents a morning
"I built Word First because every Bible app I tried wanted something from me. A streak. A subscription tier. A daily push notification. I wanted one that just helped me put the Word first — and then got out of the way."
Simple and honest.
No ads. No data sold. No upsells. Just you and God, every morning.
- Every reading, translation, and word study
- App blocking via Apple Screen Time
- Voices from History & Related Passages
- Companions, up to three people
- Memorize mode, prayer library, widgets
- Year of Mornings archive
Or $7.99 / month, billed monthly.
No ads. No data sold. Just you and God, every morning.
Honest answers.
Does this actually block my apps?
Yes. Word First uses Apple's official Screen Time API — the same technology iOS uses for parental controls and Focus modes. Apps stay locked until your reading is complete. You choose which apps; you can change them anytime.
What if I genuinely need an app?
Two soft escape valves. If you read offline — a paper Bible, a sermon — tap "Or, I read elsewhere today." And if you truly need a blocked app right now, Emergency Unlock gives you five minutes, fifteen, or the rest of the day. No shame copy, no workaround.
What gets shared with my companions?
Only your first name and whether you've read today. No verses, no notes, no time spent, no journaling. The candle is the message — and the only message.
Why no streaks?
Because streaks turn devotion into performance. Miss one Tuesday and you've "failed God" over an app. We don't count anything — not days read, not minutes spent. The morning matters; the number never did.
Do I need an account?
Not for the core app. Companions requires Sign in with Apple so we can sync your candle to your friends' devices over iCloud — no separate password, no email list. Everything else lives on your device.
Which Bible translation?
Your choice — NIV (the default), ESV, KJV, WEB, or ASV. It applies to every verse in the app. Tap any reference to read the full KJV chapter with your verse highlighted in gold.
Will this affect my kids' phones?
No. This is self-blocking, not parental controls — you set the apps and the schedule for your own phone. It never touches anyone else's device.
Does it work without Internet?
Yes. Reading, blocking, journaling, and memorizing all work offline. The only things that need a connection are Companions sync and verifying your subscription.
More questions? Read the full Support page · Get in touch
Begin tomorrow
morning.
Try it free for seven days. If it's not for you, cancel before the trial ends. No pressure — just an invitation to put the Word first.
Download on the App StoreCrafted by a believer in Oklahoma. No ads. No agenda.