The judges called out one “American Idol” contestant for boldly sharing her faith with the world. Twenty-one-year-old Georgia waitress Megan Danielle made it to the top eight finalists on the show, flooring the judges with her performance of “Go Rest High on That Mountain.” She chose that song to honor her late grandfather.

Judge Luke Bryan initially reacted to the raspy-voiced singer’s powerhouse performance. He said, “What I love about you, I mean, we’re way beyond loving your voice, is you’re, you know, you’re never scared to tell everybody your faith.” Bryan added that he thought the song would be perfect for Danielle, saying, “I just felt in my heart that I couldn’t pick a better one.”

The song was close to Danielle’s heart. Earlier in the show, she shared that she sang the song at her grandfather’s funeral. Fellow judge Lionel Richie also praised Danielle’s ability to touch audiences with her voice as she wiped tears from her eyes. Richie told Danielle, “You have the amazing ability to touch. Your voice is so powerful when it comes down to just telling your story.”

Referring to her late grandfather, Richie said, “I know your papa is very, very happy with what you did today.” Judge and pop singer Katy Perry told Danielle her grandfather was sending her a message that she was “exactly where she’s meant to be right now.” “I don’t believe in any coincidences,” Perry said, referring to the song choice. “We couldn’t have known any of that. So I just think that was heaven-sent,” she said.

Danielle was shocked after Christian singer Lauren Daigle surprised her during auditions week, joining her in a duet of Daigle’s song, “You Say.” Danielle sang other Christian songs in the competition, like “Holy Water” by the Christian band We the Kingdom and “Thank God I Do,” another Lauren Daigle song. She frequently shares faith-filled messages and encouragement on her social media accounts.

In a recent post, Danielle said she was born to share Jesus’ love. She asked fans for prayer requests, saying, “Even though I fail every day, I sin, and I’m not perfect… I would never claim or want to be perfect. I know it is so easy to get trapped into what the world wants of you and lose focus of His word because of what the world wants, but I am here to tell you it is all going to be okay. God loves us & WE need to share more of Him!”

Danielle explained at her audition in Las Vegas that her music career began with her performing at different bars and venues. On one occasion, the young singer’s late grandfather pulled Danielle aside and asked, “What are you doing, baby?” He insisted that “this isn’t what you’re supposed to be doing” and encouraged her to “sing for God.” Danielle’s conversation with her grandfather prompted her to devote herself to performing Christian music.