SAN JUAN, P.R. - At the end of his first night on this island, Santorum came to an evangelical church here where the congregation enthusiastically backed him and prayed for him.

The pastor, in both English and Spanish, asked the audience to pray for the former Pennsylvania senator and his family. They even reached their hands out to Santorum on the stage, as similar congregations on the mainland from Minnesota to Texas have done.

He thanked the congregation of the Sendero de la Cruz Church for their prayers and encouraged them to "continue to pray, not just for me, not just for my family, although I want to encourage you to continue to pray for me and my family."

He then referred to what the Romney campaign said about Santorum and Newt Gingrich just last week.

"One of my opponents recently said that it would take an act of God for me to win this primary. I agree with him," Santorum said to thunderous applause.

After Super Tuesday, the Romney team held a delegate briefing for reporters and said the only way Romney's opponents would get the nomination would be "an act of God."

Santorum has clung to the jab, embracing it and mentioning it quite frequently on the trail.

He then asked the congregants to pray for the nation and "our president and his family" and "all of those in power."

"People ask me all the time how can you go seven days a week, 16, 17 hours a day," Santorum said. "Every day I get up with more energy than the day before and I know why. Because every day when I talk to people all over this country the first thing they almost always say to me, I'm praying for you. It works. So lift up our leaders in prayer. It will work."

Santorum's wife Karen and three of their children are also on the island with Santorum, but did not attend tonight's event.