This Bible passage has been the YouVersion Bible App Verse of the Year three years in a row

The 2023 YouVersion Bible App Verse of the Year is a three-peat.

For the third year in a row, Isaiah 41:10 was the verse people shared the most, bookmarked and highlighted across the YouVersion family of apps, a leader with Edmond-based Life.Church said recently.

The Scripture reads: "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

What is it about that particular verse that most likely appealed to people around the globe as they interacted with God's word through the popular free app? Bobby Gruenewald, founder and chief executive officer of YouVersion, said he has some ideas.

"Obviously, that is a verse about hope," he said. "I think we've seen people turn to the Bible in these times, where they're basically wanting to see God as someone that can provide them hope in difficult times."

Gruenewald said he wasn't surprised when Isaiah 41:10 proved popular because a look back several years showed that the verse of the year tends to be one that's more hopeful than general.

"This one just happens to be one of them that has resonated during these times, but the theme around people turning to Scripture when they're seeking hope ― that's not a new trend," he said.

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This is the third year since 2020 that Isaiah 41:10 has earned the top spot of YouVersion’s Verse of the Year, which reflects the verse people highlighted, bookmarked, and shared the most. The verse also corresponds with the needs expressed in 2023’s top in-app searches as people around the world consistently turned to the Bible for answers about love, peace, hope, healing, and anxiety.

“From a global perspective, we’ve all been through a lot in the last few years, so it’s no surprise that people continue to feel drawn to the hope and peace promised in Isaiah 41:10,” Gruenewald said. “Even though there’s a lot of fear and anxiety felt around the world, we believe faith is the answer, and it’s encouraging to see people continue to cling to God and His Word in their greatest moments of need.”

Bible engagement acceleration

Across its Family of Apps, YouVersion saw Bible engagement surge worldwide throughout 2023. Every month this year ranked among the all-time highest months in YouVersion’s 15-year history for both installs and daily use. Specifically, installs increased this year by more than 100 million devices while the previous record from 2020 was 76 million installs in one year. Also, compared to 2022, daily Bible use grew by 20% this year, representing about 12 million people engaging in the Bible each day.

“Throughout this year, we’ve seen our global community engage with Scripture at impressively high rates,” Gruenewald said. “From what we’re seeing, this isn’t just a momentary surge but something that will last. We anticipate an even greater level of excitement around Bible engagement in the years to come.”

When YouVersion launched in 2008, it began with Bible text available in English and Spanish, creating a community that was largely based in North America. Since then, it’s evolved into a global ministry that’s still experiencing significant growth in daily Bible use in North America while also reaching new people worldwide. In fact, more than 80% of YouVersion installs happened outside of the United States in 2023 with India, Africa, and Latin America standing out most.

Fastest-growing regions

In 2023, India was one of the fastest-growing regions for the YouVersion Family of Apps with a 53% increase in installs compared to last year. As people in India installed and used YouVersion apps this year, they represented a diverse group within the global YouVersion Community as they engaged with more than 700 versions of the Bible in more than 350 languages. Children in India also engaged with Scripture at higher rates this year. The Bible App for Kids, which is available in 69 languages like Hindi and Bengali, saw a 131% increase in daily use in India as children engaged with the Bible through interactive animations and fun activities.

YouVersion also saw a boom in Bible engagement in Africa throughout 2023, especially in daily use. Across the continent, daily Bible use was up 98% compared to last year, and several countries saw triple-digit growth including Kenya (225%), Cameroon (229%), and Uganda (288%). This growth was partially due to the October 2022 launch of Bible App Lite, which was designed to help people access God’s Word in areas with device and data limitations. In a little more than a year, the lite app was installed 17.2 million times in Africa alone. In Kenya, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bible App Lite even hit the number one spot in the Google Play Store ahead of other popular apps like TikTok, Whats App, Facebook, and Instagram.

In Latin America, YouVersion saw remarkable year-over-year growth with a 107% rise in installs across the region and exceptional increases in several countries, including Uruguay (129%), Argentina (156%), and Venezuela (396%). With a concentrated effort to expand Spanish content offerings, YouVersion worked with about 475 Spanish-speaking partners to launch nearly 1,000 new Spanish Bible Plans in 2023. These important partnerships also made it possible for Bible App Lite to launch in Latin America in early November 2023. The lite app, which is now available in 14 languages, has seen early success in Latin America with nearly half a million installs in the first month.

Reaching around the world

As a free, donor-funded ministry, YouVersion works alongside more than 4,660 partners globally to provide Bible text and quality biblical content to people in as many languages as possible. YouVersion was able to add more than 200 versions of the Bible in 100 new languages this year. With these additions, the Bible App surpassed 3,000 Bible versions in 2,000 languages. Beyond Bible text, YouVersion also works with these global partners to offer devotional content through more than 30,000 Bible Plans in 84 languages.

“More than ever before, we’re seeing the global Church unify around God’s Word, and it’s exciting to think about how many more people will grow closer to God because of the passion and commitment of our partners to work together,” Gruenewald said.

For more information and visuals of the global YouVersion Community’s Bible engagement trends in 2023, visit www.youversion.com/share2023.

About YouVersion

Created by Life.Church, YouVersion designs free, biblically centered experiences that encourage and challenge people to seek God throughout each day. The YouVersion Family of Apps — including the Bible App, Bible App Lite, and Bible App for Kids — has been installed on more than 725 million devices worldwide.

The Bible App offers a Bible experience in more than 2,000 languages and helps people deepen their relationship with God. Bible App Lite is optimized for offline use and helps people access God’s Word in markets with device and data limitations. Bible App for Kids, developed in partnership with OneHope, helps children engage with the Bible through interactive animations and fun activities. For more information about YouVersion, go to  youversion.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Isaiah 41:10 is top YouVersion Bible App verse for third year