With churches closed and people forced to stay at home because of coronavirus, more people are turning to the Bible, new figures from YouVersion suggest. 

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. 

Rachel Feuerborn, spokesperson for Life.Church, the Oklahoma-based church 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."