We Must Pray for Judges as Well as Outcomes

Whatever the pending Supreme Court case, you can be sure that people on both sides of the issue are praying for a decision in their favor.

But I wonder if instead of just praying for the outcome of the case, we should be spending more time praying for the justices who are making the decision.

Like many of you, I find it intriguing to follow the Supreme Court, especially during this timeof year. Over the course of the next four weeks, Chief Justice Roberts’ court will be wrapping up the year and issuing rulings on a variety of cases, including the all-important one on the Affordable Health Care Act. This case impacts the life of every American and threatens to undermine our religious liberties if it’s upheld in its current form.

But in thinking about the many looming decisions before the Court, it has struck me just how much pressure many of these justices are under these days. Liberal or conservative, they’re human beings. They are brilliant and accomplished men and women, of course, but they’re still prone to feeling the stresses and strains of their responsibilities. They are not one-dimensional.

If the promotion and preservation of God’s justice and wisdom is what we ultimately want the court to uphold, then it would behoove us to pray that the judges of the courts would strive to see things from God’s point of view.

It was the prophet Isaiah who once proclaimed that the Lord “will be a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate” (28:5-6).

In other words, God will grant wisdom and understanding to those who seek Him.
Let’s never underestimate the power of prayer and how God can move hearts in these days. If the Lord can give a dream to Pilate’s wife, He can work in the hearts and minds of judges today.

Please join me in praying for all who serve within our justice system but especially the following nine members of the United States Supreme Court: