A digital sabbath is a regular day, usually Sunday or Saturday, when you put away your phone and other screens to rest, worship and be with people. To keep one, choose the day and hours, tell people how to reach you in an emergency, lock your distracting apps beforehand with a prayer lock app like Prayer Latch or put them away, and plan what you'll do instead: church, a meal, a walk, a nap, reading Scripture.
God built rest into creation before he gave a single law: "on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made" (Genesis 2:2, KJV). A digital sabbath applies that pattern to the thing that most keeps us from resting today, and Prayer Latch, an app that locks your apps until you pray, can help that day begin with God instead of a feed. Scripture quotations are from the King James Version, which is in the public domain.
What is a digital sabbath?
It's a weekly stretch of time, often a full day, without the phone and screens that fill the rest of the week. Some people go from sundown Saturday to sundown Sunday; others choose Sunday from waking to dinner. The point isn't the screens. It's what the space is for: rest, worship, and the people and God you otherwise only half attend to.
What does the Bible say about sabbath rest?
"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work…" Exodus 20:8–10
Jesus didn't abolish rest; he freed it from rule-keeping: "The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath" (Mark 2:27, KJV). He also called his tired disciples away: "Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat" (Mark 6:31, KJV). That sounds a lot like a group chat.
Do Christians have to keep the sabbath?
Christians differ. Many treat Sunday, the Lord's Day, as a day of worship and rest; others believe Christ fulfils the sabbath and keep no special day (Romans 14:5–6, Colossians 2:16). A digital sabbath isn't a law either way. It's a practice, a way of receiving the rest Jesus offers: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28, KJV).
How do I plan my first digital sabbath?
- Pick the hours. Start with something you'll keep, like Sunday morning until lunch, and grow it.
- Tell people. Let family and work know you're offline and how to reach you in an emergency (a phone call usually still gets through).
- Prepare the night before. Download the map, print the recipe, look up the service time.
- Lock or remove the pull. Log out of social media, hide the apps, or lock them.
- Plan the replacement. An empty day fills itself with the phone. Decide what you'll do instead.
What can I do on a digital sabbath?
- Go to church without checking your phone in the service.
- Cook and eat a long meal with family or friends.
- Take a walk, hike or bike ride.
- Read the Bible or a good book on paper.
- Nap without guilt.
- Pray a psalm slowly; Psalm 23 and Psalm 62 are good places to start.
- Write a letter or call someone.
- Play board games with your kids.
Is it OK to use my phone for calls or the Bible app?
Decide the rules before the day, not during it. Many people keep calls and texts with family, and turn everything else off. Others use a paper Bible so the phone stays away completely. The question to ask is whether the use leads you into rest, or back into the stream.
Prayer Latch tip: If you keep your phone for calls, read Scripture in Prayer Latch's Bible instead of a browser. It works offline in 24 languages, so you can turn Wi-Fi off and still read your psalm.
How do families keep a digital sabbath?
Make it a shared rhythm, not a punishment. Parents go first and put their own phones away. Plan a special breakfast, an outing or a game that only happens that day. See a Christian family's screen-time morning routine for ideas that work every day.
How can Prayer Latch help with a digital sabbath?
Prayer Latch locks the apps you choose at set times, on the days you choose. Add a Sunday lock time and the apps you named stay closed until you pray, so the first thing you reach for on your sabbath is a moment with God instead of the feed. Prayer Latch adds a prayer pause, not a full-day block: after you say Amen your apps open, so pair it with the plan above. For a longer break, see a digital fast for Lent or Advent.
Pray before you scroll
Prayer Latch locks your chosen apps each morning until you pray. Your first 7 days are free, no card needed.
Updated October 27, 2026 by the Prayer Latch team at Janus Works LLC.