Digital Devotions
The ways people explore faith are changing, but the invitation of Christ remains the same. Kelly Cooper looks at how digital platforms are creating new opportunities for people to ask questions, engage with Scripture and discover Jesus.
Traditionally, those who were curious about the Christian faith might have wandered into a Christian bookstore or quietly slipped into a church service on a Sunday morning. Today, a person’s first introduction to Jesus may happen through a podcast, a TikTok testimony, a Bible app, an Instagram reel or a late-night online search prompted by questions they cannot shake.
God has always spoken to His people in unexpected ways. In the Bible, He spoke to Moses through a burning bush, to Balam through a talking donkey and to Belshazzar through graffiti written on a wall at a party. Today, God continues to speak in creative and deeply personal ways, including through our smartphone screens.
Jesus in your pocket
People are encountering Jesus through the digital channels they use every day, with faith increasingly becoming a part of their daily routines. Many Christian apps now appear in spaces once dominated by wellness and self-help content.
Youversion Bible App is the world’s most downloaded Bible app, with more than 14 million daily users.
It offers thousands of reading plans, devotionals and prayers which are searchable by theme or life stage. Like many apps, it also includes features that allow users to track their reading progress,
share highlights and connect to the global Youversion community.
Lectio 365 is a devotional app that is described as a daily spiritual companion. It helps users build a daily rhythm of prayer through guided sessions. Morning devotionals focus on praying through Scripture, while evening prayers encourage end-of-day reflection and preparing for rest. Available in both text and audio formats and in multiple languages, the app also allows users to set reminders, making it easier to establish regular prayer and reflection habits.
The Bible goes prime time
Streaming services are playing an unexpected role in introducing people to Jesus. One of the best-known examples is The Chosen, which tells the story of Jesus through the eyes of the people who knew Him, including His disciples, religious leaders and Roman officials. Since becoming the first multi-season television series to be crowdfunded, The Chosen has attracted hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide by bringing the gospel to life in a compelling and relatable way.
In New Zealand, The Chosen is available on Amazon Prime Video and can be streamed for free through The Chosen app. The show is planned as a seven-season story, with Season 6 set to premiere on 15 November 2026.
House of David is also available on Amazon Prime Video. It retells the story of David from a young shepherd boy to warrior and eventually king. Within its first 17 days, the series attracted 22 million viewers. These and many other productions are making faith- based content more accessible to new audiences.
People are encountering Jesus through the digital channels they use every day…
Church for the commute
Many people now engage with the Bible and Christian content while driving to work, walking the dog or exercising. There is no shortage of content to choose from including podcasts, YouTube channels and music streaming platforms. For some, these platforms provide first steps towards exploring faith and for others they have become an important part of daily discipleship and spiritual growth.
In recent years, ‘Religion and Spirituality’ has become one of the fastest-growing podcast genres globally. Podcasts such as The Bible Recap and The BibleProject regularly feature near the top of faith podcast charts.
Music streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music have also expanded access to Christian music, making it easier for people to discover new artists and worship music. A growing number of Christian artists such as Lauren Daigle and Forrest Frank have attracted listeners in mainstream music circles and reflect a growing appetite for faith-inspired contemporary music.
Faith in the feed
Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook have also changed the way people discover and interact with faith. Christian content appears alongside cooking videos, sports highlights and lifestyle tips, making faith more visible and easier to access than ever before.
Social media offers countless opportunities to learn, reflect and connect through theology, personal testimonies, prayer livestreams and conversations about faith.
For some, a 30-second reel or a short video can be the first step in exploring Christianity and opening the door to deeper conversations.
Christian content appears alongside cooking videos, sports highlights and lifestyle tips.
Like any online space, social media requires a measure of discernment. Not every creator offers the same depth of biblical teaching, and some self-described Christian influencers have faced criticism for personal brand promotion. Despite this, social media remains a powerful entry point to faith, providing access to Christian ideas, communities and resources that viewers may never have encountered otherwise.
In a world that is more connected than ever, many are discovering that their deepest spiritual questions remain unanswered. Finding Jesus in 2026 may look different from previous generations, but the invitation remains the same.
Christ continues to meet people where they are, whether in the quiet of prayer and Scripture, in fellowship with a faith community, and even in the digital spaces that shape our everyday lives.
