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As COVID-19 continues to spread across the world and change how people live, many are seeking spiritual answers and finding hope in Jesus.
Makers of the world’s most popular Bible app, YouVersion, say that they’ve seen an incredible increase in app and web traffic.
“While we’re all facing challenges in the middle of a global pandemic, what you may not realize is that we’re also experiencing a season of great spiritual awakening,” YouVersion says in an online post.
“All over the world, people are searching for answers and hope. And what millions are finding is an invitation into a relationship with God.”
YouVersion says that over the past six weeks “we’ve witnessed God moving in amazing ways as we saw the largest engagement increase ever, with more people searching the Bible for hope and peace, sharing Bible verses and Verse Images with others, and engaging in God’s Word with their families through the Bible App for Kids.”
The popular Bible reading app reveals that engagement with its reading plans during Holy Week was 54 per cent higher than the same period last year.
While 26.4 million Bible Plan days were completed during Holy Week 2019, that rose to 40.6 million this year.
The number of Bible verses being shared also rose from 10.8 million in Holy Week last year to 14.1 million this year – a 30 per cent rise.
The app not only includes the Bible in many English translations and other languages but also has a prayer request feature. They’ve seen over 1.6 million prayers added in just the last month. Volunteers spend countless hours going through the requests and praying for them.
Rachel Feuerborn, spokesperson for Life.Church, the Oklahoma-based Ministry organisation behind YouVersion, said that Easter Sunday this year saw record numbers of Bible verses being shared and Bible Plan completed.
“Easter looked different this year, but it didn’t stop the global church from celebrating Jesus’ resurrection,” she said.
One of the most frequently shared verses in the app was Mark 16:6, “‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ‘You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.'”
Another was Psalms 30:5, “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”
Additional reporting by Christian Today and CHVN-FM Radio Station.
