And the Bible verse of the Year is ...

Makers of The Bible App, the most-used Bible reading app in the world say that the most shared, bookmarked and highlighted verse in 2020 was Isaiah 41:10: “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”

The Bible App has had over 450 million app installs since its creation, with over 52 million in 2020 alone.

According to YouVersion, COVID-19 had a marked effect on how people used the App this year.

In mid-March, as the world came to terms with the pandemic, the number one search term on the app was “fear”.

YouVersion founder Bobby Gruenewald said in a statement that the top search terms “really show what’s been weighing on the hearts and minds of people around the world at key points through the year. They reveal how people are seeking God as they wrestle with the difficult circumstances they’ve faced in 2020, and that’s something we can celebrate.”

According to YouVersion, 1.4 billion Bible study plans were completed in 2020. Gruenewald said The Bible App saw its highest levels of Bible engagement in 2020, attributing it to the cessation of physical church services to stop the spread of Covid-19, and an increased need to connect with the Bible and other Christians digitally.