The faith-based app's founder, Bobby Gruenewald, told The Christian Post the YouVersion team "saw 18.2 million people engage in the Bible and more than 798,000 installs" on Sunday Jan. 5.

"We tend to see a seasonal uptick in Bible engagement at the beginning of the year as people start new habits and are interested in reading the Bible for the first time," he said. "What's interesting to us is that this year's increase is even higher than this same time last year, and it's a trend we're seeing globally."

The number of downloads at the beginning of the week set a new record, besting the record set on the first Sunday of last year. What's most interesting, though, is where in the world YouVersion saw the greatest increase in downloads.

To name a few, the Scripture-reading app saw a 198% increase in Ethiopia, a 94% increase in Egypt, a 74% increase in Turkey, a 65% increase in Ghana, and a 48% increase in Pakistan. North Africa saw an overall engagement increase of 297% while the Middle East saw an uptick of 166%.

Launched in 2008 by Life.Church, the app has been installed on more than 850 million devices globally and is accessible in 2,100 languages.

These trends are in keeping with how YouVersion has seen its app grow over time. According to CBN News, the app saw more engagement in 2024 than in any year prior, revealing Philippians 4:6 was its most-searched passage.

The verse reads, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (ESV).

Gruenewald said he believes the popularity of the passage shows people turn to God in times of stress.

"In many cases, our anxiety comes from holding onto worries that we aren't meant to carry," he said in a press release from YouVersion.  "To me, this verse being sought out the most this year is an illustration that our community is seeking God in prayer and choosing to trust Him to carry their burdens—and we're seeing that supported in the data."

Within the app, Gruenewald said he's seen the greatest growth in the Bible Plans feature, which guides users through Scripture and gives them the opportunity to connect with friends as they study the Bible.

"Every time someone opens the Bible is an opportunity for the power of God's Word to change their life," he said. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

Tré Goins-Phillips serves as a host and content creator for CBN News.

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