You heavens above, rain down my righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up…—Isaiah 45:8 (NIV)

Someone recently shared the prayer hack of setting several smartphone alarms as a reminder to routinely think about Jesus throughout the day. Initially, the idea of hearing several blaring alarms turned me off. The sudden, jarring noise always catches me off guard and evokes stress. My shoulders tense up, and I’m worse off than before. Regardless, the idea kept ringing in my mind. 

I have a solid morning prayer routine, but the peace I found there quickly unraveled as the day progressed. I decided the alarm idea was worth a shot. I ruled out every ringtone until I listened to chimes. Comforting, soothing, and melodious, it was a call to prayer that I’d like to answer. 

Every day at 9 a.m., 12 p.m., 3 p.m., and 6 p.m., the beautiful tone now sounds on my phone. When I hear the gentle tinkle of the bells cascading, I imagine Jesus’s mercy and grace showering down on me. I stop whatever I’m doing and pray that raining grace on whomever comes to mind. Whether it’s a friend in crisis, one of my kids who’s struggling, my husband hard at work, or myself with frayed nerves, I visualize each soaking in that grace like thirsty flowers. Each time I hear the alarm, my soul is refilled, and my sanity is saved knowing that no matter what the next few hours hold, Jesus will ring in showers of His goodness and blessings on me too. 

Faith Step: Find a ringtone on your cell phone that evokes peace. Set a few alarms as reminders to stop during the day and pray to Jesus.