Justin Bieber Sings ‘Lonely’ To A Group Of California State Prisoners

Justin Bieber and his pastor visited California State Prison in Los Angeles County in order to spread the gospel and Bieber's mission, gossip web site TMZ reports.

The warden of the state prison signed off on a brief visit for him and his pastor to support faith-based programs. Bieber sang a few of his hit songs to the inmates there last month, including an acoustic rendition of his new hit single, "Lonely."

27-year old Bieber performed slower tracks "that translate better" with an acoustic guitar accompaniment. The lyrics for "Lonely" reportedly had an effect on the inmates, and the set was emotional for Bieber -- who was on the verge of tears:

His visit and performance were well received by the inmates and concluded with a sermon. The remainder of Bieber's visit was spent outside in the yard sitting in a circle and listening to speakers.

As we previously reported, Bieber has reflected on his wild past saying, “Hurt people hurt people—you know? And there’s a quote; I’m trying to remember it. I don’t know if it’s biblical, if it’s in the Bible. But I do remember this quote: The comforted become the comforters. I don’t know if you’ve heard that before. But I really do feel comforted. I have a wife who I adore, who I feel comforted by. I feel safe. I feel like my relationship with God is wonderful. And I have this outpouring of love that I want to be able to share with people, you know?”

Bieber has said of his love for God: “He is grace. Every time we mess up, He’s picking us back up every single time. That’s how I view it. And so it’s like, ‘I made a mistake. I won’t dwell in it. I don’t sit in shame. But it actually makes me want to do better.’ My goal isn’t to try and persuade anybody to believe in what I believe or condemn anybody for not believing what I believe. If it can help someone, great. If someone’s like, ‘Hey, I don’t believe that. I don’t think that’s true,’ by all means, that’s their prerogative.”