Prayer Lock vs Abide: which prayer app is right for you?
Abide and Prayer Lock are both built to help you draw closer to God — but they solve different halves of the problem. Abide gives you a vast library of Christian meditation, prayer, and sleep content to listen to. Prayer Lock makes sure you actually stop scrolling and pray in the first place. Here's an honest comparison so you can pick the right one, or use both.
The core difference
Abide is a Christian meditation and prayer app from Guideposts, billed as "the #1 Christian meditation app." You open it to listen to guided Bible meditations, bedtime sleep stories, daily devotionals, an audio Bible, and calming music — a huge, professionally produced library. It is something you choose to open.
Prayer Lock is a phone blocker. You pick the distracting apps that pull you away — social media, news, games — and Prayer Lock keeps them locked until you pray. It doesn't hand you prayer content; it clears the space and enforces the habit, so prayer comes before the feed.
Side-by-side comparison
| Prayer Lock | Abide | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Blocks distracting apps until you pray | Christian meditation & sleep stories |
| Blocks your phone until you pray | Yes | No |
| Guided content | Your own prayer time | 2,000+ meditations, audio Bible |
| Daily prayer streak | Yes | Session tracking |
| Reduces screen time | Yes | Not a focus |
| Platforms | iPhone (Android coming soon) | iOS, Android, web |
| Tradition | Christian (any tradition) | Christian |
| Price | Affordable subscription | Free tier + paid Premium subscription |
Abide's features and pricing are based on its public App Store listing and website and may change — check Abide directly for the latest.
When Abide is the better choice
If what you want is a deep, guided meditation and prayer experience — thousands of Bible-based meditations, biblical sleep stories, daily devotionals, a full audio Bible, and calming music to ease stress and anxiety — Abide is excellent and hard to beat. Backed by Guideposts, it brings real scale and credibility, and its free tier gives you a meaningful place to start. If your struggle is anxiety, restless sleep, or "I want rich content to meditate and pray along with," Abide is built for that.
When Prayer Lock is the better choice
If your real struggle is that you reach for your phone before you ever pray — that the scroll wins every morning — then a content library alone won't fix it, because opening it is still optional. Prayer Lock is built for that exact problem: it blocks the apps that hijack your attention until you've prayed, and tracks your streak so the habit sticks. Choose Prayer Lock when the hard part isn't what to pray, but actually stopping to pray at all.
You can use both
These two aren't really rivals. A natural setup: let Prayer Lock block your distracting apps each morning, and let Abide be the guided meditation or devotional you pray during that protected time. One clears the space; the other fills it.
Pray before you scroll
Prayer Lock blocks your phone until you pray. On iPhone.
Download Prayer LockFrequently asked questions
Does Abide block your phone or apps until you pray?
No. Abide does not block or lock other apps or your phone — it is a content and audio platform for Christian meditation, prayer, and sleep. Blocking distracting apps until you pray is what Prayer Lock does.
Can I use Prayer Lock and Abide together?
Yes. Prayer Lock blocks your distracting apps until you pray, and Abide can be the guided meditation or devotional you pray during that time.
Is Prayer Lock free?
No — Prayer Lock is a paid subscription, priced to be more affordable than most prayer apps. Abide offers a limited free tier plus a paid Abide Premium subscription.