Reba McEntire: Faith guides me on everything I do
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Country music super star Reba McEntire has sold more than 56 million albums, starred in her own television show and has just released her first studio album in the past five years to rave reviews. The secret to her success? The singer's faith.
"[Faith] guides me on everything I do," Reba told FOX411 at NYC's Soho House. "I ask for guidance, I ask the Lord to give me wisdom when I speak, when I think and I always try to be positive and say nice things and it gives me strength throughout every minute and every day."
Reba's faith is front and center on her latest album Love Somebody. The 60-year-old penned the song "Pray for Peace" after receiving a message from God.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It's a song that was started 2-3 years ago when I was out walking," she said. "My front yard is my church and that's where I go out and I talk to God...so 'Pray for Peace' came to my mind and I started praying for peace."
Reba continued, "A month or two later I'm like, 'Lord, what have you got in mind for me? What's my next project?' And He said, 'I want you to pray for peace.'"
It didn't take long for Reba to march into the studio to record the song. The only problem was she only had three words.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I don't write a lot but these words came to me...what went from three words went to the longest time I've ever spent on a song."
The "Going Out Like That" singer recalled asking God what she should do with the song and said He told her to "give it away" so she put it on YouTube. She later decided to include it on the album because "fans need to hear it because it is a gift from God."
Reba's faith is one reason why she's teamed up with Outnumber Hunger's campaign to help secure meals for those struggling with hunger in America. Reba explained it was comedian Bob Hope who helped her understand the importance of using her celebrity to give back.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We were doing benefits for the widows of veterans and he told me, he said, 'It's really important for you to give back. You can receive all day long, but the most important thing for you to do in your life...is to give back."
The Oklahoma native said she was "shocked" to learn how many people in the United States were in need of food.
"I really didn't see hunger [growing up], we had an 8,000 acre cattle ranch...so this was shocking to me...about how many people were going hungry in the land of the plenty."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Catch "Reba and Friends Outnumber Hunger" on CMT April 18.