A Spiritual Health Diagnostic for Modern Disciples

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” — 1 Peter 5:8

Instructions

Read the following 12 statements honestly. Reflecting on your typical week, score each statement using the scale below. Place your score in the bracket provided.

• 1 = Rarely / Not like me
• 2 = Sometimes / Occasionally like me
• 3 = Often / Frequently like me
• 4 = Almost Always / Exactly like me

PART 1: THE INVENTORY

Category A: Noise & Hurry

• [ ___ ] The very first thing I do when I wake up, and the very last thing I do before closing my eyes at night, is check my mobile phone.
• [ ___ ] I feel a sense of anxiety, boredom, or restlessness if I have to sit in silence (e.g., waiting in a queue, driving, or walking) without listening to a podcast, music, or checking notifications.
• [ ___ ] My mind feels constantly hurried, chaotic, or distracted, making it difficult to sit quietly and read Scripture or pray for more than a few minutes without my mind wandering.

Category B: Audience & Ego

• [ ___ ] When something good, funny, or meaningful happens in my day, my immediate instinct is to think about how I can post it, tweet it, or share it online.
• [ ___ ] I find myself tracking the engagement (likes, views, comments) on my messages or posts, and I feel a quiet dip in my mood if a post doesn’t get much attention.
• [ ___ ] When a controversial or trending topic arises, I feel a strong, internal pressure to share my opinion, correct someone online, or prove that I am on the “right side” of the issue.

Category C: Appetite & Outrage

• [ ___ ] I spend money on non-essential items online (clothes, gadgets, books, convenience items) automatically or mindlessly when I am stressed, bored, or tired.
• [ ___ ] Consuming the news or scrolling through social media regularly leaves me feeling angry, cynical, envious, or deeply anxious about the state of the world.
• [ ___ ] I struggle to protect a true day of rest; even on weekends or my days off, I find myself answering emails, checking work notifications, or window-shopping online.

Category D: Crowd & Screen

• [ ___ ] I spend more time consuming content from online influencers, podcasters, or news anchors than I do engaging in deep, face-to-face conversations with local believers.
• [ ___ ] When I am eating a meal or spending time with family and friends, my phone is usually on the table or within arm’s reach, and I frequently check it mid-conversation.
• [ ___ ] I find it easier to connect with people who share my exact age, political views, and background online than to love and serve the diverse, real-life people in my local community or local church.

PART 2: TALLY YOUR RESULTS

Add up your scores for each category below to find your area of greatest cultural vulnerability:

• Category A Total (Questions 1–3): _______ (Noise & Hurry)
• Category B Total (Questions 4–6): _______ (Audience & Ego)
• Category C Total (Questions 7–9): _______ (Appetite & Outrage)
• Category D Total (Questions 10–12): _______ (Crowd & Screen)

(The category with your highest score indicates where the spirit of Babylon is currently exerting the most subtle influence over your daily habits.)

PART 3: YOUR PRESCRIPTION FOR EXILE

If you scored highest in Category A: You are battling Noise and Hurry.

• The Diagnosis: Your soul is running at a digital, hyper-stimulated pace, making it hard to hear the “still, small voice” of God.
• Your Antidotes:
  • The “First 30, Last 30” Rule: Keep your phone out of your bedroom. Commit to zero screen time for the first 30 minutes of your day and the last 30 minutes of your night. Open and close your day in prayer, just as Daniel opened his windows toward Jerusalem.
  • The Discipline of Analog Solitude: Take a 20-minute walk completely empty-handed—no phone, no headphones, no podcasts. Just walk, notice God’s creation, and talk to Him out loud.
  • The Slow Lane Experiment: Intentionally choose the longest queue at the supermarket or drive in the slow lane on the motorway. Use those forced minutes of waiting to pray for the people around you.

If you scored highest in Category B: You are battling The Performance.

• The Diagnosis: Digital Babylon has trained you to perform your life for human approval, turning your everyday experiences into a personal brand.
• Your Antidotes:
  • The Discipline of Digital Secretness: Practice doing a good deed, giving a gift, or having a profound spiritual insight, and intentionally keep it completely a secret between you and the Father.
  • The Bounded Tongue: Practice sitting through a conversation or a meeting where a topic comes up that you know a lot about, and intentionally choose not to share your opinion or correct someone. Resist the urge to always get the last word.

If you scored highest in Category C: You are battling Appetite and Outrage.

• The Diagnosis: The algorithms are successfully feeding your anxieties, stoking your anger, and convincing you that contentment can be bought.
• Your Antidotes:
  • The Algorithmic Fast: Delete the one app that makes you angrier, more envious, or more cynical than any other for 30 days. Only consume media with a distinct, physical endpoint (like a printed book or one specific film).
  • The Sabbath of No Commerce: On your day of rest, commit to spending exactly zero pounds. No online shopping, no popping to the local shop, no ordering takeaway. Declare to your soul that your day of rest is sustained by God, not market consumption.

If you scored highest in Category D: You are battling Isolation and Disconnection.

• The Diagnosis: Screens are acting as a barrier to true, sacrificial, messy human community, keeping you safely locked inside a digital echo chamber.
• Your Antidotes:
  • Literal Table Fellowship: Invite someone over—a neighbor, a stranger, or a lonely member of the church—for simple tea and biscuits. Establish a rule: all phones are placed in a basket at the front door. Reclaim face-to-face conversation.
  • The Intergenerational Bridge: Intentionally seek out a regular coffee track with a member of your church who is at least two generations apart from you (older or younger). Break out of your demographic silo.

My Commitment This Week: Which single discipline will I commit to testing for the next 7 days?