Anne Graham Lotz Hails Chris Blue on 'The Voice' for Expressing What Christians Are Feeling
Evangelist Anne Graham Lotz hailed the semi-final performance of gospel singer Chris Blue of "Take Me to the King" on "The Voice," which earned him a spot in the final four of the competition.
"Who would think that a performance on 'The Voice' would express what so many of us are feeling?" Lotz wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday, thanking Blue.
"And God bless you for so eloquently and passionately focusing on our hearts desire for the King," she added.
Knoxville-based Blue advanced into the finals of "The Voice" following a round of voting, for which he praised God for.
"I did not see that coming," Blue told 10News, recalling when Carson Daly, host and executive producer of the show, called his name as the first contestant to move on to the final four.
"I thought he was asking the question to okey-dokey me. I thought it was just 'Let me ask Chris this question and then go on to someone else, we're still going to make him wait.' I wasn't expecting my name."
"I'm overjoyed, I'm humbled, I'm grateful, I'm filled," the singer added. "I'm going to allow this moment to last."
"A year ago this time, I was sitting on my bed in my bedroom thinking, 'Wow, these guys are amazing. They're talented, there's no way I would ever be on that stage or would ever be top four.' Are you kidding me? I never thought in a million years I would be right here. But here we are."
Blue wrote on Twitter: "I CANT CONTAIN MY FEELINGS GUYS!!!! Thank you ALL SO MUCH!!!! Big thanks goes to God @aliciakeys @NBCTheVoice and YOU!!Yes YOU!!!!"
Blue's semi-final rendition of "Take Me to the King," originally recorded by American gospel singer Tamela Mann, states in part:
"Take me to the king
I don't have much to bring
My heart's torn to pieces
It's my offering
Lay me at the throne
Leave me there alone
To gaze upon your glory
And sing to you this song"
He has previously delivered other emotional performances, including a cover of the Percy Sledge song "When A Man Loves A Woman," dedicating it to his fiancée, who has been battling bone marrow cancer.
Lotz, who chairs the National Day of Prayer Task Force and speaks frequently on the importance of prayer and turning to Jesus Christ, has warned that America is facing a "spiritual drought."
"The only thing that will fix that is if God's people, who are called by God's name, will humble themselves and pray and seek His face and turn from our wicked ways," she said earlier this month in her keynote message at the annual National Day of Prayer observance on Capitol Hill.
Watch Blue's "Take Me to the King" performance on "The Voice" below: