As she prepares for the biggest stage of her career while carrying her first child, America’s Got Talent finalist Jessica Sanchez is leaning on the one foundation she says will never fail: her faith in Jesus Christ.

The 30-year-old singer, who is nine months pregnant, advanced this week to the finals of AGT—a moment she calls both humbling and challenging. Throughout it all, Sanchez insists her heart remains anchored in God’s will.

“My identity is in Christ, and that’s what has kept me steady through all of this,” she told The Christian Post. “No matter the outcome, I remind myself this is His will, not mine. That’s the only way I’ve been able to do this.”

Sanchez isn’t new to the pressures of national television. At age 10, she first appeared on America’s Got Talent before rising to fame as runner-up on American Idol. But despite her early success, she admits the glitter of the music industry left her spiritually empty.

“I kind of got lost in the sauce of it all,” she said. “You see the glitz and glam of the Grammys, the beautiful things, and you think, ‘That’s what I want.’ But I realized there was more depth the Lord wanted me to find.”

After stepping back from music for several years, Sanchez says she went through a spiritual reset. Away from the stage, she built a personal relationship with God and rooted her identity in Him, rather than in applause or industry approval.

“Now my foundation is firm,” she said. “It’s not just about gifts and talents or other people’s opinions. My identity is in Christ. That’s what has kept me steady through this.”

Sanchez’s journey to the finals hasn’t been without obstacles. Performing live while nine months pregnant has tested her physically and mentally.

“Last night, she was moving so much during my performance,” Sanchez laughed, speaking of her unborn daughter. “Every time I would sing that song, she was kicking. Big kicks.”

With her body under strain and her lungs compressed, Sanchez admits she has leaned heavily on prayer for strength. Her husband, Rickie, whom she married in 2017, has been her prayer partner before rehearsals and shows, reminding her to see AGT as a part of a larger calling rather than a do-or-die contest.

“Of course it would be meaningful to win,” she said. “But I’ve learned to just pray, ‘Lord, let Your will be done. Keep me mentally strong through this.'”

For Sanchez, faith and music are no longer separate lanes—they are intertwined. Daily Scripture readings help her remain grounded, and verses about perseverance have taken on new meaning in this season.

“There are times when I’m sobbing, just praying, asking God, ‘What do you want me to do with this voice?'” she said. “Do I sing in the church? Do I take the stage? I’ve wrestled with that for years. But then He opened this door for me.”

She now sees her performances as a testimony, not only to the judges and voting audience but also to people who have followed her since childhood.

“I want people to know that it’s a long road, that there are struggles and rejections,” she said. “But it’s worth it. The Lord has something for you, even if it doesn’t look like everybody else’s story.”

Sanchez also sees herself as part of a growing wave of mainstream performers unashamed to talk about God. “I feel like people nowadays aren’t afraid to share their faith,” she said. “There’s a breakthrough happening. I see it not just on stage but in my inner circle. It’s amazing.”

She hopes her own boldness will encourage others who may never set foot in church to encounter God’s presence through music.

“I love my community in church,” Sanchez said. “But I also want my family and friends who don’t know Christ to experience His presence. If I can bring that through a song on stage, that’s what I want.”

Whether she leaves the AGT stage as champion or not, Sanchez says she’s already won something greater: a renewed faith, a rediscovered voice, and a testimony of God’s perfect timing.

“God’s timing is perfect timing,” she reflected. “If I hadn’t gone through the struggles, it wouldn’t mean as much as it does today. Now I just want to share that with others—that the Lord is faithful.”