David Archuleta Says His Coming Out Began With A Message From God

David Archuleta says he was shocked by the impact his coming out had back in June.

"I thought, 'OK, this is probably going to be a bigger deal, maybe I'll get 30,000 or 40,000 likes, if that,' because I know this is a controversial topic and a lot of people have assumed things about me and tried to label me in the past," he told Today.com. "But it exploded. I didn't realize all the media outlets were going to talk about it, but the way that they did, it was so respectful." Maybe he shouldn't have been caught so off guard by the response, however, considering Archuleta said the choice to open up about this sexuality started with a direct message from God.

Archuleta, a devout Mormon, struggled to reconcile his faith and his sexuality, so he turned to prayer for guidance.

"I kind of went through a faith crisis for a month, when I was in the process of breaking up with this girl I was in a relationship with. But I felt so disconnected from everything. My anxiety had gotten so bad. I was like, 'I don't even remember how it feels to be close to God or to even have feelings for anybody ... I don't even know how I feel about myself right now," he recounted.

It was ultimately through prayer that Archuleta said he got his answer: it was time to stop hiding his truth from the public.

"When I had that prayer, God just said, 'David, you know I trust you, right? I want you to post about what you're going through right now.' And it was just so clear what I needed to say. I knew exactly what I needed to say, but I feel uncomfortable saying it because I like to keep to myself -- especially with this kind of stuff. But I just knew I had to," he said.

As for Archuleta's dating life now that he's finally out, he says he's taking it slowly. The singer shared with NBC News that he's "getting to know guys," as well as working on new music, hoping to get back out on the road and tour again, and embracing his new role as an LGBTQ+ rights advocate.