For many people Tax Day or April 15 is a day they dread. I am one of the people who looks forward to Tax Day. I am a tax preparer. I love doing people’s taxes. I love seeing joy when people get refunds.

This past week I saw joy from a couple who owed money. They were dreading coming to the tax center. They were very honest about their dread. They had been told that they would owe thousands of dollars. Instead, after completing their taxes, they owed less than a thousand. They were ecstatic. They had as much joy as people getting money back from the government.

Tax Day is a day of joy or dread. For many people it is just a day. They have done their taxes before the deadline so it is just a regular day. They do not really think about it.

Tax Day for me is a day for prayer. I spend the day praying for all levels of government. I pray for the Executive Branch, the Judicial Branch and the Legislative Branch of the federal government. I pray for my state government. I pray for my local government.

It does not matter what party they belong to, or if I agree with them. I use Tax Day, like Election Day, to pray. I pray for God to move in the government. I pray for Him to send workers to the government (all levels) to show God’s love to them.

I pray specifically that He will remind me that He is in control. I do not know the future. I don’t know who will be elected or how my tax money will be spent. But God does. He is in control of everything.

Proverbs 19:21 states, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”

Tax Day reminds me that our nation needs our prayers more than our money.

Jesus did not focus on material wealth. He focused on eternity. People tried to trap Jesus into proclaiming Jews should not pay taxes to Rome. In Matthew 22:16-22, Jesus talks about what to do about paying taxes.

And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.

Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites?

Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius.

And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?”

They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away. 

Jesus turned the tables on them. Unlike our angry society, He did not get into a heated, angry yelling match. He just reminded them of truth. He reminded them of what is truly important. We are to focus on God and what He wants us to do.

On Tax Day won’t you join me in prayer? Say a prayer for all government levels. Take time to pray for Christians to share the gospel throughout the government.

Dear Lord, please guide our government and the people who serve in it. Please send Christians to share the Gospel in all levels of government. Please guide our government as well as other countries to use peaceful means to solve problems.