TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Gov.-elect Rick Scott says Jesus Christ has been there for him throughout his life.

Prayers from multiple faiths were offered during a breakfast shortly before Scott's formal swearing-in Tuesday. A crowd of roughly 1,500 attended the ceremony at Florida A&M University.

The incoming governor made a point of praising the Constitution which allows religious freedom and gives Americans a choice in what to believe.

Scott said there is no better way than to begin his governorship with the prayers of the people he'll serve.

A conservative Republican from Naples who came from nowhere to win the governor's race, Scott said he appreciated the prayers that sustained him during and up-and-down campaign.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)