By Kayla DeKraker
AMERICAN IDOL contestant Hannah Harper brought the presence of God to the hit singing competition with a stunning performance of Chris Tomlin’s “At the Cross (Love Ran Red),” leaving fans and judges awestruck.
“At the cross, at the cross, I surrender my life. I’m in awe of You, I’m in awe of You,” she sang. “Where Your love ran red, and my sin washed white, I owe all to You, I owe all to You, Jesus”
It was Harper’s first live performance on the show and part of IDOL’s “Songs of Faith” night, which saw the top 20 contestants and judges sing about what matters most.
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“From the beginning, you’ve been one of my absolute favorites. I loved your version of that. I could feel your heart in it, and I was right there with you,” judge Carrie Underwood told Harper, a mom of three, of her performance.
Lionel Richie added, “That was with such a purity that it was fantastic…that was so spectacular in terms of your delivery and your voice.”
Luke Bryan echoed the other judges, saying, “It was just perfection to me. It roped me in. Everything about that – I totally bought into it, heart, mind and soul.”
Harper’s fans clearly loved her take on the worship song, voting her onto the next round.
“She’s the reason I’m watching this season. True worship well done ❤she really feels what she is singing,” one person commented on the YouTube video. Another fan wrote, “If a kind, talented Christian worship singer (who is a devoted loving wife and mother) wins AMERICAN IDOL, I feel like that’s a piece of America beginning to heal.”
Harper reflected on the special performance on Instagram.
“Another night of worship and I’m still just…overwhelmed. The Spirit was THICK in that room tonight. Thank each and every one of you who took the time to vote for me,” she wrote. “It truly means more than I could ever put into words. Psalm 34:3 ‘Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together.’”
Harper’s music career began long before AMERICAN IDOL.
Raised in Missouri, she grew up immersed in bluegrass gospel music, performing with her family in churches from a young age. Her website states, “Traveling with her family, The Harper Family, honed her musical talents and developed a profound passion for songwriting and music ministry.”
Harper eventually landed a job as a worship leader at a small church in Missouri where she met her husband. They married in 2018 and now have three young boys.
Harper’s story is an amazing example of how people can change culture simply by being unashamed of their love for Jesus.
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