It's hard to be a Christian in Hollywood, especially since people of faith often get mocked for their beliefs. But several "American Idol" hopefuls have not been afraid to showcase their faith on stage.
One such contestant is 17-year-old Garrett Jacobs, who credits his grandmother's prayers for helping him get through the singing competition. It was Jacobs' grandmother who told him he has "a God-given talent," according to CBN News. And when he sang "This is a Man's World" during auditions, the judges were compelled to agree.
When he got through, the first person he called was his grandmother. "Praise God I knew you would do it!" she happily replied.
Meanwhile, another 17-year-old, Thaddeus Johnson, tried out in the competition back in 2010. He almost made it to the live rounds before he was cut. The rejection dealt him a heavy blow, and in the aftermath he got so depressed that he gained weight rapidly and ballooned up to 390 pounds.
Things got so bad that at one point, he even considered committing suicide.
"After that show, God took me through a lot but it's made me the man I am right now and I'm just grateful," he told the judges before singing, "Don't you worry child, see Heaven's got a plan for you."
The performance was so touching that judge Lionel Richie even gave him a hug and gave him the thumb's up to proceed to Hollywood.
The next contestant, Kenedee Rittenhouse, is already being dubbed as "the next Carrie Underwood." But they have something in common apart from their country roots and singing talent - and that's their faith in God.
Underwood paid a surprise visit to Rittenhouse's school back in 2009, and the "Jesus Take the Wheel" singer invited her to perform on stage.
"That day Carrie asked me on stage to sing with her. I was so in shock, but after that, I just knew this was definitely what I wanted to do when I was older," Rittenhouse said.
She auditioned twice in "The Voice" but didn't make it, and she almost gave up on singing.
"I prayed so much about it," Rittenhouse said. "I just sat down with God and said 'look, this isn't going to work' and He didn't answer my prayers the way I wanted him to, but I knew whatever He was doing He was just helping me grow and it was for a reason."
If she does make it big in Hollywood, Rittenhouse has made a commitment to stay true to her faith. It might be difficult to go to church every single Sunday, but Rittenhouse said she is going to "pursue" God and blaze a trail for Christians everywhere.
"You can't forget who you are. God is the one who got me here in the first place," she said.
