Faithwire
  • Watch
  • Go!
  • Podcasts
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletter
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • News
  • Politics
  • Coronavirus Updates
  • Faith
  • Opinion
  • Christmas
  • Set Free Course

YouVersion Announces Most Read Bible Verse of 2019, Stunning Increase in Number of People Reading Scriptures

Photo credit: Freely Photos
Photo credit: Freely Photos
Share Tweet
By Will Maule
Author

December 5, 2019

As 2019 comes to a close, Popular Bible app YouVersion has revealed the most-read Bible verse of the past 12 months, and it is an extraordinarily poignant one considering the tumultuous times in which we live:

Philippians 4:6 reads, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”

‘Having Faith Is Not a Crime’: Chinese Megachurch Elder Defiant After Being Sentenced to Four Years in Prison

The popular verse is a simple plea from the Apostle Paul to followers of Jesus in Phillippi, instructing them not to be anxious about anything but, instead, to prayerfully approach God with their concerns and anxieties, and to be assured that the Lord will provide them with all they need.

“We’re encouraged to see so many people turning to the Bible in response to their worries, remembering what God has done in their lives, and choosing to trust in His faithfulness,” the app’s founder, Bobby Gruenewald, said in a press release.

It was another good year for the YouVersion, with more people engaging with the scriptures through their smartphones and tablets than ever before.

Incredibly, YouVersion saw a 30% increase in the amount of Biblical content being consumed by its users — some 5.6 billion chapters were listened to and a stratospheric 35.6 billion chapters read. In addition, around 478 million verses were shared and 1.1 million Bible plan days were completed.

The app, which was originally developed by Oklahoma megachurch Life.Church, has enjoyed some staggering growth since being launched back in 2008. An astonishing 400 million people have installed it across the globe, with a further 50 million unique downloads being added to the total over the course of this year alone.

In Wake of Deadly Attack on Christian Worshippers, West African Evangelical Leaders Urge Love and Forgiveness

Incredibly, many of the newly engaged users originated from within countries where Christianity is under siege.

According to YouVersion’s 2019 annual report, Algeria, which has experienced an uptick in religious persecution this year, clocked a 219% increase in Biblical engagement.

Other countries who logged a marked increase in their time spent reading the Bible were: Morrocco, India, Nepal, Zambia, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Chad.

“What we are seeing in global engagement is exciting to us,” Gruenwald added, “because with every verse highlighted, Plan day completed, or audio chapter listened to, that’s a person who is being transformed by knowing God more intimately through spending time in the Bible.”

‘When God Calls, You Should Humble Yourself’: MLB Star Manny Ramirez Reveals How Jesus Changed His Life

The YouVersion Bible is now available in 1,343 languages and 2,013 different versions.

“Every year, when we dig into these numbers, we’re overwhelmed by how God is using this app to deliver His message of hope and love to a hurting world,” the founder noted. “We’re humbled by the opportunity to see lives changed in every country around the world.”

Latest

  • News

    ‘Miracle’ Landing: Florida Pilot Passes Out — Passenger with No Flight Experience Takes Over with ‘Hand of God’

  • Entertainment

    Marvel’s ‘Scarlet Witch’ Actress Reveals Her Real-Life Connections to Witchcraft, Says She’s ‘Witchy’

  • News

    ‘A Psychological Prison’: Taliban’s Latest Demand Leaves Women in Tears as Afghanistan Reels in Poverty, Desperation

  • News

    New Warner/Discovery President ‘Un-Cancels’ JK Rowling After She Was Sidelined for Defending Women Amid Transgender Craze

  • Life

    ‘A God Thing’: They Adopted a Severely Handicapped Baby Despite Doctors’ Warnings, and It Changed Everything


Navigation

  • Watch
  • Go!
  • Podcasts
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletter
  • Staff
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Sign up to get our newsletter your inbox every day.

Newsletter Signup

Do you want to read
more articles like this?