 |
|
Matt Lockett (Feb 3, 2017)
“There at the table, where we were eating lunch, this highly respected leader said to me: God says, ‘I have a champion that I have positioned all along, ready to go into this place.’ So, the Lord says, ‘Hold the fort for Me, and hold the fort for My champion that I’m ready to bring up to the place they should be.’” – Matt Lockett (Washington, DC) — [Bound4Life] On Tuesday, President Donald Trump named Judge Neil Gorsuch as his Supreme Court nominee to replace Justice Antonin Scalia—a lion-hearted defender of the U.S. Constitution’s original intent. The Senate Judiciary Committee will now begin its important confirmation hearings, followed by a vote of the full Senate. (Photo Credit: Bound4Life)It’s vital that we all understand the weightiness of what’s happening. This justice will sit on the court for perhaps four decades; it is no small decision. As one who leads a ministry that has been standing and praying outside the Supreme Court for more than 12 years, there are many reasons why I am encouraged by the announcement of this judge. I believe this is a storyline filled with divine promise and encouraging facts. Why We Started to Pray for a Champion On February 13, 2016, I got off an airplane in Dallas only to hear the tragic news that Justice Scalia had unexpectedly passed away—in Texas, of all places. I was devastated. The Supreme Court was only weeks away from hearing a monumental abortion-related case out of Texas (Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt), a major prayer focus of Bound4LIFE for three years.  The following day, I was approached by two different leaders of national prayer ministries who had specific encouragements from the Lord for me. The first leader pointed their finger at me sternly and said, “Your job is to keep Scalia’s seat open.” I was stunned by those words, but at the same time they resonated in my spirit. (Photo Credit: Bound4Life)Later in the afternoon, the second national leader called asking: “Where are you?” After I answered, they told me to stay there until they arrived. There at the table, where we were eating lunch, this highly respected leader said to me: “God says, ‘I have a champion that I have positioned all along, ready to go into this place.’ So, the Lord says, ‘Hold the fort for Me, and hold the fort for My champion that I’m ready to bring up to the place they should be.’” Exactly how does one hold open a seat on the United States Supreme Court? Some would suggest lobbying Senate leaders, while others would put emphasis on social media campaigns and writing op-eds. For me, I know these things happen through prayer and fasting. At many points in the past year, it seemed impossible. Not since 1970 had the Senate held a seat open on the Supreme Court for a full year. Yet that one phrase really struck me: there was a “champion” that God had in mind to sit in that seat. Now that’s a prayer we could pray relentlessly, regardless of the circumstances. The person of faith will often look naïve to those with a worldly mindset. As the presidential campaign proceeded, candidates supported by many pro-life advocates began to drop out. When only two were left, many people didn’t trust either one, though some evangelical leaders began to see a stark choice before us. Then Donald Trump released a list of 21 potential nominees for the Supreme Court, which many Constitutional scholars praised. His list gave new fuel to our prayers. In June 2016, that Texas case related to abortion clinic safety regulations was not decided in favor of life; we were heartbroken by the loss. I wept as I stood there praying in front of the Supreme Court that day, surrounded by young pro-abortion activists singing loudly: We are the champions! Yet we continued praying for God’s “champion” to come to the court. Even when everyone was saying that Hillary Clinton was certain to win the election, we didn’t give up on praying for it to come to pass—because we knew it was what the Lord wanted. Click here to continue reading. |
No comments:
Post a Comment