July marks the beginning of Tennessee’s month of prayer and fasting — an effort by Sen. Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) and East Tennessee's Rep. Monty Fritts (R-Kingston), both devout Christians, to summon divine blessings on the state. The legislation passed by Pody and Fritts this spring legally designates July “as a time of prayer and fasting in Tennessee and seeks God’s hand of mercy healing on Tennessee.” It won overwhelming support in both Republican-dominated chambers of the state legislature and earned Gov. Bill Lee’s signature on April 16.
Pody reintroduced the legislation at a June 28 press conference alongside fellow Republicans Rep. Elaine Davis (R-Knoxville) and Rep. Paul Sherrell (R-Sparta). Fritts quoted scripture and expressed hope that dedicated Christian action would inspire divine aid for problems facing the state, including drunkenness, crime, addiction and violence. Pody said he plans to fast from television, rather than food, and shared that he does not have a home church. Davis said she will fast “intermittently.”
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“We’re in a position in our nation, even in our state, that we can’t legislate ourselves out of the problems that we have," Fritts told the room last week. "We can’t budget or spend out of the problems we have. I think we need a miracle. I’m honestly and openly saying we need God to move in our state and in our country.”
Fritts said the resolution was modeled after the Founding Fathers’ “complete and absolute belief in the divine creator.” Lawmakers carefully specified that the legislation was not an attempt to use government power to direct churches, but a loose plan to bring together Tennesseans across all 95 counties in worship. July programming includes prayer events hosted by churches across the state.
“History has shown us, the Bible has shown us, God tells us: He wants to heal our land,” Fritts said in closing. “We have allowed a lie to be propagated in America that the church is to have no influence on the government. We need people of good moral fiber, believers, to come together so that we do have absolute rights and wrongs in our culture.”
Lawmakers have sent information about the month's events to county commissioners and mayors. A dedicated website includes a daily worship schedule throughout the month of July.
