Friday, June 1. Day 6 of 67 Days of Prayer
Today we are praying for the following districts:
- Tennessee State House District 16- Currently represented by Bill Dunn
- Tennessee State House District 17 – Currently represented by Andrew Farmer
- Tennessee State House District 18 – Currently represented by Martin Daniel
- Tennessee State Senate District 6 – Currently represented by Becky Duncan Massey
Our call to Prayer
Each day during this call to statewide prayer, we will be sharing a verse about government to guide us in praying. Please read this guide and pray through the scripture that is mentioned. Our commentary is just that – commentary. The word of God stands on its own as a guide to prayer.
“for he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” Romans 13.4 KJV
Allow us to start with an observation that is not intended to be insultingly simple: In a secular system, legislators write law and legislators establish consequences for breaking the law. Of course, the Lord uses this all for His purposes.
We see above in Romans 13.4 several ways which God uses the civil magistrate:
- To minister to his people for good.
- To cause those who do evil to be afraid.
- Bear the sword (If you do not bear the sword in vain, you bear the sword)
- As a minister of God
- As a revenger to execute wrath on evil doers.
This is one of the hardest verses in scripture to take at face value, and yet as the word of God, we must do so.
Thankfully for me, the writer, we are discussing the role of a Biblical government. We are in our second day of discussing looking at each of the tasks and roles in Romans 13.4 in their most ideal form. We will pray for the Lord to raise up leaders, current and new, to fill these roles.
As a minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath on evil doers
Minister and revenger are two words few Christians or non-Christians would associate with each other. In fact, I can find no modern dictionary that associates minister or ministry with any type of revenge. To the contrary, we see definitions like “act as a minister of religion” with synonyms such as “care for, look after, nurse, treat, help, assist.” If you couldn’t look in your own Bible, you might accuse me of lying about what this verse says!
You and I aren’t the only people who have trouble with this section of scripture.There is a variance in the translations, and this give us a power powerful tool in looking at what is actually being said. You can see more variations of this translation at Biblehub.
NIV: “They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.”
NLT: “They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong.”
ESV: “For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.”
NAS: “an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil.”
It is clear that God has put government in place to deal with those who commit crimes or commit evil.
A Prayer for Day 6 of 67 Days of Prayer
Lord, Your name is known in Knox, Jefferson, and Sevier counties. Thank You for the strong Christian heritage You have given to Your people in these areas.
Father, you have said in Romans 13.4 of those governing: “for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” Help us to understand this piece of scripture that seems so at odds with our society. We know you are just. We are not more just than you; forgive us if this thought even begins to creep into our hearts.
Lord, teach us how to pray for those who write law in our state, as well as for those who enforce it. Father, we ask you to provide us with leaders who will treat those who break the law with justice – consistently, fairly, and faithfully.
Once more we ask: Father, would You cause a spirit of prayer to well up within the citizenry of Tennessee? Would You cause our state to once more seek Your face? Would you cause us to seek Your will as we vote – but not just in voting Lord, but in our daily lives? Would You move on our hearts and make our homes places of spiritual accountability?
Amen.
Please click here to download a printable guide of when to pray for each district. Please feel free to email this to other praying Christians, to insert this in your church bulletin, or to post it on your church bulletin board. Make sure you put a copy on your refrigerator or in another prominent place in your home. This guide may be freely reproduced as long as it is not modified.
