YouVersion has revealed the Bible verse with the highest engagement on its app this year - Philippians 4:6.
The popular Bible app said the verse reflects a trend seen throughout the year of increasing numbers of people seeking God through His Word and in prayer.
Philippians 4:6 is a Bible verse that is often turned to by Christians in times of difficulty.
It reads: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
YouVersion founder and CEO Bobby Gruenewald said, "In many cases, our anxiety comes from holding onto worries that we aren't meant to carry.
"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."
YouVersion also saw an increase in prayer engagement through the app throughout 2024. YouVersion lets people share prayers with friends, indicate that they prayed for others, and complete guided prayer sessions connecting people with God through Scripture and prayer prompts. Across these prayer features, YouVersion said engagement rose by 46 per cent this year compared to 2023.
The words "prayer" and "peace" were among the highest searched words on the app this year, and the app also saw a 37 per cent increase in the number of 24-7 Prayer Rooms hosted by the app this year.
"Throughout 2024, we have seen a rise in the number of people dedicating themselves to night and day prayer in different nations around the world," said Carla Harding, International Director of Products for 24-7 Prayer International, which is a YouVersion partner.
"Our hope is that through continual prayer, the global church would be ignited in the presence of God and carry His love with greater compassion and power to the communities around them."
Overall, there were an average of 11.2 million new app installations every month of 2024, and around 14 million users per day.
The highest growth in daily use was seen in Central Africa, Eastern Africa, and Latin America. Nicaragua recorded the highest increase of 107 per cent, followed by South Sudan (82 per cent) and Venezuela (74%).
"It's encouraging to see people throughout the YouVersion community, in every region of the world, engage with the Bible at such high levels," said Gruenewald.
"These Bible engagement trends highlight the commonalities that can be found throughout the global Church—in the struggles we face and in our need for God."
