Katy Perry says God spoke before Super Bowl, sings 'Grace of God'

LOS ANGELES, California (Christian Examiner) -- God spoke to Katy Perry minutes before her spectacular Super Bowl half-time show, the acclaimed recording artist said.

She talked with Ryan Seacrest, an E! News host, at the Grammy Awards Feb. 8 about her preparation for the show that had been expected to draw an audience of 113 million, but which attracted 118.5 million viewers.

"I over-prepared myself and did a lot of prayer and meditation," Perry told Seacrest.

"It's funny," Perry continued. "I was praying and I got a word from God and He says, 'You got this and I got you.' And then I was on top of the lion and a guy, a random guy, just looked at me with a headset that I've never communicated with before, and he just looked me straight in the eyes and said, 'You got this.' And I was like, 'Oh, this is God, confirming I can do this.'"

Perry said she had practiced her routine 40 times before the performance.

She wore four modest outfits and except for one butt-bash, danced non-provacatively. It was her style that was on-stage: bright colors and eclectic design that didn't make a lot of sense – what was that bit with dancing sharks? – but was just so much fun!

And daring, what with Perry standing atop an almost digital-looking metallic lion and throwing down the reins she was holding at the very moment the lion raised up on its hind legs and roared. Even more daring: Perry -- inconspicuously strapped in with a belt that matched her long gown -- rode a shooting star as it ascended high above the crowd, belting out one of her award-winning songs.

Daring does have its limits, though.

Perry, whose parents are Pentecostal evangelists, slipped from her childhood moorings as she spread her creative wings starting at age 17 -- she's now 30 -- but seems to have found her own faith in the last year, evidenced by modest attire and the sense she projects of innocent sense of fun and style.

That being said, Perry said during an interview for a 2013 Marie Clair magazine article, "I'm not Buddhist; I'm not Hindu; I'm not Christian, but I still feel like I have a deep connection with God. I pray all the time -- for self-control, for humility.

"There's a lot of gratitude in [my prayers]," Perry continued. "Just saying 'thank you' sometimes is better than asking for things."

Since 2009, Perry has been nominated for 13 Grammy Awards, but has yet to snag a trophy. This year, both her album Prism and her single "Dark Horse" were nominated in the Pop categories.

At the Grammy Awards Feb. 8 , Perry -- wearing a caped floor-length white gown, stood in front of a white backdrop that lent shadowing to her performance -- and sang "By the Grace of God," about the breakup of her marriage to Russell Brand.

For her red-carpet Grammy appearance, however, she wore a crystal-embellished, sheer dress, with purple hair, according to Hollywoodreporter, and on her way out compared cleavage with Miley Cyrus.