Filling Up Empty Seats

We all know by now that there is one available seat on the Supreme Court of the United States, which is being vacated by retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy. Not many of us, however, realize that 17% of all federal court judicial seats are empty. This is a significant number. Just like the Supreme Court justices, all of these judges serve for life, so seating this many judges can have a great impact long into the future. President Trump has been quietly filling all of those empty seats with conservative judges. The Supreme Court hears 70-75 cases a year. The federal appeals courts hear up to 50,000 cases in a year. It is easy to see that cases are often finally decided in the lower Federal Courts of Appeals. “On a number of important constitutional and statutory cases, they’re often the last word,” John Malcolm, director of the Meese Center for Judicial Studies at the Heritage Foundation, says. “So, the people who sit on those courts can have a very large impact on the direction of the law.”1

“And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.” (Isaiah 11:2; ESV)

Give Him 15 minutes in prayer:

  • President Trump made a campaign promise he is fulfilling. He promised to seat constitutionally conservative judges on America’s federal courts.  Thank the Lord for presidential promises kept.
  • Pray that every judge called forth by God for this moment in history is placed in their exact right place in the nation’s courts.
  • Intercede for the Senators confirming those to be seated on federal court benches. Pray that the character of these judges is such that opposing senators are not able to impede the progress being made.
  • Ask God for yet another generation of righteous lawyers raised up and made ready for future federal court vacancies.
  • If you are a Christian attorney, fear the Lord and live your life, so you could possibly be one of our nation’s future judges.

A prayer you can pray:

Lord, thank you again for a president who is keeping a campaign promise to fill the 17% vacancy rate on our federal court benches with righteous judges. May President Trump and his team find every single one of those who have been prepared by You to fill those seats. We want our judicial system to honor You at every level, all the way up to the Supreme Court. Let the nominees’ character and judicial activities be without reproach, Jesus, so they cannot be logically rejected. Let young, Christian attorneys be made sensitive to Holy Spirit, living God-fearing lives and studying to show themselves approved. Our nation will need them some day. May the way be made open for their futures in the nation’s federal court system, all the way to the top! In Jesus’ name, amen.

Today’s decree:

The U.S. judiciary will be set for a generation by President Donald Trump.

1 Farivar, Masood, “Trump Quietly Reshapes US Judiciary”. VOANews.com, 7/2/18. Accessed 7/11/18.