Gingrich Seeks Nevadans' Votes, Prayers

(NewsCore) - Newt Gingrich appeared to wipe a tear away after singing along to a rendition of "God Bless America" during a prayer meeting in Las Vegas on the eve of Saturday's Nevada caucuses.

"While I want your vote, I need your prayers," the candidate told a congregation of approximately 500 people Friday night. "I hope that both Callista and I can be in your prayers because we will need them every day that we serve this country."

Other than attending Mass and holding a media availability, Gingrich -- who until now had maintained a busy public schedule every voting day -- has nothing else on his calendar Saturday. The candidate says he has the "hope" of finishing second in the Nevada caucuses but is mindful that Texas Rep. Ron Paul's organization may trump his chances.

"We're going all out to see if we can't be a good solid second here," an optimistic Gingrich told FOX News Channel's Greta Van Susteren Friday. "And then we're on to Colorado and Minnesota. Voting has already started in Arizona and in Ohio. We're going to be competing there."

The candidate called upon children in the congregation to join him on stage Friday night, the first time he had done so since South Carolina. It was a move that evoked memories of his earlier success, as the Gingrich team attempts to rejigger its operation after losing momentum in Florida.

On FOX News, Gingrich hinted at a potential path toward winning the nomination, saying he hoped to be "even with or slightly ahead" of Romney in total delegates by April 3.

"We're working our way toward Super Tuesday," Gingrich told Van Susteren. "And we think we'll do very, very well on Super Tuesday, and then in Alabama and Mississippi the following week. And then we think we will clean up in Texas on the 3rd of April."

At church Friday night, Gingrich took to the stage to attack former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for saying he is not concerned about the "very poor."

"My good friend, the governor from Massachusetts, said it was OK not to worry about the poor because, after all, they have a safety net," Gingrich said. "It's not a safety net, it's a spider web. It traps them in poverty. It keeps them at the bottom. It deprives them of independence. One of the reasons I'm running is because I want to replace the spider web with a trampoline that launches them into the middle class and gives them a future."

Read more: FOX News