Religion rarely makes appearances on the late-night talk circuit, but when Oprah Winfrey is the guest and she reveals the key to receiving “the desires of your heart,” you listen.
Or, if you are Stephen Colbert, you swap Biblical verses with her.
The former talk-show queen came on “The Late Show” Thursday night to promote her new miniseries, “Belief,” which explores the origins of different faiths and religions.
When Winfrey described herself as having been a “little preacher,” a child who liked to preach the gospel, Colbert asked if she had a favorite passage from the Bible. She did — but asked him for one first.
Colbert, an ordained minister who teaches Sunday school and has talked about his deep faith prior to his current job, was at the ready. He quoted from Matthew 6:25, which he described as “a commandment to not worry.” He said it's something he appreciates even if he can’t live it.
RELATED: 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' premieres: 5 best moments
“So if you worry, you’re being disobedient,” he quipped.
Winfrey responded with Psalm 37:4: “Delight thyself in the Lord. He will give you the desires of your heart.”
She said that for her, the verse means focusing on virtues such as kindness and love to find happiness.
“It says to me, if you focus on being a force for good, then goodness will come, which is also the Third Law of Motion, which is also karma” and the Golden Rule, she said.
Colbert noted that may also have been the theme behind the former best-selling self-help book, “The Secret.”