Earlier this year, the Tennessee Governor signed a stunning and historic bill into law calling for a month of prayer for the United States and recognition of God starting July 1st. The stated purpose of the bill, which overwhelmingly passed the state legislature, is “to seek God’s hand of mercy healing on Tennessee.”
The impact of Governor Bill Lee’s proclamation, however, has stretched far beyond its State’s border, prompting California Pastor Jack Hibbs to call on American Pastors and Churches from every State to “be Tennesseans” for the month of July.
“Our governor won’t say such a thing. We don’t need our governor to say such a thing,” he stressed. “We’ve got ears to hear what the Spirit is saying, and the Holy Spirit is calling Tennessee, its governor, and its people to pray for America. We in California can do the same thing. I’m calling upon the church in America to join with Tennessee.”
Tennessee’s Call to Prayer
The text of the Tennessee bill highlighted the violence, drug abuse, human trafficking, and brokenness in many Tennessee homes, as well as “evidence of corruption in our federal government [which] stands to impact every Tennessean” to underscore why prayer at this time in American history is so critical.
“Our National and State Founders trusted in the omnipotent hand of Providence to guide and bless our land,” the bill reads, adding that throughout the decades, American leaders and Founders issued similar proclamations that “called our people to seek out the Creator’s favor…”
The bill noted a proclamation from John Adams in 1799, which stated:
[This day] be observed throughout the United States of America as a day of solemn humiliation, fasting, and prayer; that the citizens on that day abstain, as far as may be, from their secular occupation, and devote the time to the sacred duties of religion, in public and in private; that they call to mind our numerous offenses against the most high God, confess them before Him with the sincerest penitence, implore his pardoning mercy, through the Great Mediator and Redeemer, for our past transgressions, and that through the grace of His Holy Spirit, we may be disposed and enabled to yield a more suitable obedience to his righteous requisitions in time to come; that He would interpose to arrest the progress of that impiety and licentiousness in principle and practice so offensive to Himself and so ruinous to mankind; that He would make us deeply sensible that “righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” [Proverbs 14:34]
“We recognize that God, as Creator and King of all Glory, has both the authority to judge and to bless nations or states,” the bill continued. “We, as public servants in the Tennessee General Assembly, seek God’s Mercy upon our land and beseech Him to not withdraw His Hand of blessing from us… We recognize our sins and shortcomings before Him and humbly ask His Forgiveness… We ask the Lord Jesus to heal our land and remove the violence, human-trafficking, addiction, and corruption… We ask that the Holy Spirit fill our halls of government, our classrooms, our places of business, our churches, and our homes with peace, love, and joy….”
“We call upon all those who are physically able and spiritually inclined to do so to join in a thirty-day season of prayer and intermittent fasting as we begin a new fiscal year as a means of seeking God’s blessing and humbling ourselves to receive His Grace and Mercy, transforming ourselves, our communities, our State, and our Nation,” the bill concluded.
‘Let’s All Be Tennesseans’
Jack Hibbs, a trusted California pastor and ministry leader, underscored that while no such proclamation is expected to arise from his State’s government, all believers across the United States need to join the State in interceding for our country.
“Let’s ask every Christian in America, every Pastor in America. Let’s all fast and pray that God would have His way with these United States. Let’s all be Tennesseans this month of July and pray and fast as the Lord leads,” Hibbs, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, urged.
“Wear a Tennessee t-shirt, get a hat, whatever—but starting July 1st, as you’re able, fast and pray for our nation. If Tennessee is watching, We’re with you. California is with Tennessee,” he emphasized. “Maybe God is waiting for America and its churches to wake up.”
