YouVersion reveals 2022 Bible Verse of the Year

(Photo: Unsplash/Tim Wildsmith)

The most shared, bookmarked, and highlighted Bible verse on YouVersion this year is a popular portion of Scripture from Isaiah in which God tells His people not to fear. 

YouVersion, the Bible app, revealed today that its verse of the year for 2022, based on data from global users, is Isaiah 41:10

The verse 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."

"The popularity of this verse speaks to our desire to be reminded that even when we feel like we're alone in our struggles, we're not," said Bobby Gruenewald, founder and CEO of YouVersion.

"As this verse says, God is our strength and He's always with us."

YouVersion has also released engagement trends for its Ukrainian-language version.

As the war unfolded in Ukraine following Russia's invasion in February, YouVersion saw engagement with the Ukrainian language version "skyrocket" across European countries taking in refugees. 

Bible engagement in Ukraine increased this year by 55%. In Poland, Ukrainian Bible engagement increased by 241% and in Germany it went up by 733%. 

Most searches at the start of the war were for words like "war," "fear," and "anxiety", but YouVersion says that as time passed and the war progressed, the top search term in the Ukrainian language became "love".

"These families are going through something most of us can't imagine. In the middle of what's likely the most difficult time of their lives, they're turning to the Bible for comfort, peace, and hope," said Gruenewald.

"It's an honor that we get to be a part of making God's Word available to His people in their greatest moments of need."