All eyes were on Rihanna and her (now confirmed) pregnant belly as the Barbados-born singer took the stage during the XVII Super Bowl halftime show.
Rihanna is no stranger to the spotlight, and she’s been a mainstay in the news cycle for her decades-long career. One of the biggest questions about the singer centers around her faith. Before the show, some social media users were spreading a bit of Satanic Panic with Rihanna’s show, recycling old claims that the singer was a devil worshipper and part of the Illuminati. But not only has Rihanna never claimed to be in cahoots with the devil, she’s actually spoken quite a bit about her personal relationship with God.
Rihanna has shared that she was raised in Barbados with a Christian faith, and while she admits her relationship with God hasn’t been without struggles, she’s shared over the years that her faith has kept her going.
Check out five times Rihanna got real about her faith.
When She Felt Like She Disappointed God During ANTI
In an interview with her Ocean’s 8 co-star Sarah Paulson, Rihanna got real about the struggles she went through during the recording of her eighth studio album Anti, she was struggling with her relationship.
“I have been in a place where I felt like maybe I had disappointed God so much that we weren’t as close,” she said. “Actually, that happened to me while I was making Anti. That was a really hard time, but, thank God, I got through it.”
“The devil just has a way of making you feel like you’re not good enough,” she continued, “and that you’re not worthy of God being close to you. It’s really not the truth, but you wind up feeling like that.”
Staying True to God
While appearing on the cover of British GLAMOUR in 2014, Rihanna shared the key to staying true to herself: focusing on God.
“…Remembering what’s important in life and understanding that we are individuals with our own relationship to God,” Rihanna told the magazine. “When that’s clear, it’s difficult to be bothered by what people think.”
Trusting in God to Grow Her Faith
Rihanna shared with GLAMOUR that after going through a difficult season, her faith and trust in God grew stronger.
“[My faith] wasn’t even lost then. The devil just has a way of making you feel like you’re not good enough, and that you’re not worthy of God being close to you,” she said. “It’s really not the truth, but you wind up feeling like that.”
“My grandmother was the one who started me on this,” she continued. “She gave me a devotion book, a physical one. It was the last thing she gave me before she passed away. It got left on a plane and stolen, so I just said, ‘You know what? Somebody else is going to gain from that.’ And then I bought the same book on my iPhone. The only sad part was that her handwriting was in it, but someone else is going to be blessed with it, so it’s fine.”
Giving Control to God
During an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Rihanna was asked how she remains bold and fearless in all aspects of life. The singer shared how she relies on her faith in God to deal with the downside of fame.
“I think I’m like most people — we fear the unknown and the things that have yet to come to pass, which are the very things that don’t deserve to be feared,” Rihanna said. “When you give God complete control, it’s very hard not to be fearless.”
Using Her Twitter Platform
Rihanna’s Twitter is fairly meme-worthy. She’s never been one to hold back from speaking her truth, and that includes speaking up about her beliefs.
The devil wants to steal your joy because he knows that joy is your strength…that is why sometimes we need each other
— Rihanna (@rihanna) June 5, 2012
The Power of God can bring you joy unspeakable!!
— Rihanna (@rihanna) July 7, 2013
God is Love!!!
— Rihanna (@rihanna) February 1, 2012
Most notably, she seems to be a big fan of Joyce Meyer.
“@JoyceMeyer: Believing has a lot to do with obedience. If you really believe what God says, you’ll do what He says.”
— Rihanna (@rihanna) August 16, 2012
@JoyceMeyer you're awesome!!!!!
— Rihanna (@rihanna) June 5, 2012
