Intercessors for America, a pro-Trump network that is closely aligned with White House aide Paula White, published and promoted a blog post Tuesday calling on prayer for Chief Justice John Roberts and asking God to “fight against him however You deem necessary” if Roberts “refuses to bow to you.”
Intercessors for America often distributes prayer guides on political issues that urge people to pray for public officials. There’s no indication why Roberts was singled out today, but there are hints that it may have to do with inflammatory allegations made by pro-Trump lawyer Lin Wood, who has accused Roberts of being caught up in a blackmail scheme involving the rape and murder of children. Wood has released no evidence to back up those claims.
“Father, we do not know the state of Justice Roberts’ heart, but You do. We do not know what, if anything, is happening behind the scenes in his life—but You do,” reads part of a suggested prayer.
Roberts has also angered right-wing activists with his rulings upholding the Affordable Care Act, striking down some state restrictions on abortion, and holding that federal civil rights laws prohibit job discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Here’s how IFA’s blog post begins:
Father God, we lift Chief Justice John Roberts up to You. Father, use him for Your glory. If he is no longer ruling on the side of justice, convict him and deal with Him as You see fit. Help him to uphold the Constitution and judge fairly and justly in all things.
The blog post describes the role and power of the Chief Justice and offers prayers that Roberts will “judge fairly” and “act righteously.” It encourages plenty of tough love from God, including these asks:
- Search him, O God, and know his heart. Try him and know his thoughts. See if there be any wicked way in him; and if there is, then get it out—and lead him in Your way everlasting.
- Convict him if there is any compromise away from true righteousness and justice in his heart.
- Show him his sin if he is in sin. Show him what Jesus looks like, and what true righteousness and justice look like.
- Show him that Your enemy, the devil, is already judged and has already lost because of Christ Jesus. Show him that there is no hope or future for him if he continues in sin.
- Bring repentance where repentance is necessary.
- Turn him around and cause him to begin judging fairly and rightly, no matter the cost, if in any way he has not been judging fairly or rightly in Your eyes.
- Expose anything in his life and judgeship that You need to expose.
And there’s an appeal that God would bring the hammer down if necessary:
Father, we pray that Chief Justice John Roberts would uphold the Constitution in all things.
Let all his decisions be fair, and not influenced by any unholy or personal preferences. Let him rule in every decision as You desire him to rule.
We ask You to extend his judgeship if he will judge fairly and rightly. However, Father, if Justice Roberts kicks against Your goads and refuses to bow to You, we ask You to fight against him however You deem necessary in order to preserve the integrity of the Supreme Court of the United States.
The IFA blog post about Roberts was written by author and speaker Jamie Rohrbaugh, who also contributes to the zealously pro-Trump media outlet Charisma.
IFA is also promoting this week’s so-called Stop the Steal events with daily prayer webcasts and a lobbying campaign to get Vice President Mike Pence to reject Electoral College votes from states Trump claims were stolen from him when he presides over the congressional certification of Electoral College votes on Jan. 6.
