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Going to court is an experience I wouldn’t wish upon anyone. In hopes to find a resolution, we are often left with more questions and uncertainties than before it all began.

“Why are magistrates and judges so insensitive?”

“Why do the courts favor women?”

“Why do they favor the men?”

“Why are lawyers often so ineffective and unreliable but often required?”

“Why won’t they listen?”

“Why does everyone ignore the facts?”

“What happens if someone doesn’t follow the parenting agreement?”

“What happens if my children don’t want to go to the other parents?”

Here is the big one, “Why doesn’t the Justice System show justice toward the right people?”

I have asked myself many of these questions, and I am still left somewhat confused about how so much injustice is shown in the justice system. The very system that has been set in place to help bring reconciliation to families and situations seems to be full of hidden agendas and ulterior motives. It almost feels like it’s no longer about going to court to achieve a resolution but instead hoping to get the right judge, having the right legal representation, and being on the right side of the political fence.

If I am a woman, I don’t want to get a magistrate or judge that had a bad experience with women and has a bias toward them because of other similar cases.

If I am a man, I have to hope that the magistrate over my case has not had a bad experience with men and has a bias toward them because of other similar circumstances.

And seriously, please don’t let their be some other political agenda going on (that they think no one is aware of) causing them to be in cahoots with a specific lawyer, or all hope is lost for me and my children and I am now a pawn in the game of politics.

So the questions becomes, how do we as believers obtain favorable outcomes when we go to court?

Better yet, why does it often seem that the people that are trying to live “just,” are treated unjustly in the justice system?

My answer to this question is simple.

The bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 4:4 that satan is, “The god of this world” and that the powers that exist are ordained by God (Romans 13:1). Although God has given satan power over the world, because he has all power to do so, he already had an original plan for those in power to follow. The issue is that people can choose to be governed by God’s plan or the enemies.  This is the issue with the operating system of the world in which we live in. It often chooses not to operate things as God intended, leading to the chaos we live in now.

Please don’t get me wrong; there are some very well-meaning, good government officials that work in the court system and other sectors of the government. But it is clear that there is a powerful presence of deception, oppression, dishonesty, and greed that operates freely within our government and we often become prey or victims to the political and financial hidden agendas that motivate outcomes in the courtrooms.

So if God has given us authority over the enemy (Luke 10:19), why didn’t my prayer work?

Great question and again this is only my opinion, but the bible tells us in Romans that the ‘just shall live by faith’ (1:17) and to ‘seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly’ (Micah 6:8).

These two scriptures explain a lot more about prayer posture during a custody battle than we realize. This is where I know I dropped the ball. My prayers had not failed me during my custody battle because God was just silent or he just wanted me to figure it out on my own. It was often because my motives were not rooted in three main things, justice, mercy, and faith. Though these prayers were certainly not wrong, there root systems were weak.

I, like many others, spent hours, days, weeks, and months, fighting to prove my points. I thought that if I spent hours getting all my paperwork together, having all my facts straight, hiring the perfect attorney, and praying for favor, I would be able to prove my points and walk away with all I deserved.

But here is the secret, prayers take flight with faith, not facts!

The bible did not say, ‘the just shall live by fact,’ or ‘the just shall live by what is fair.’ It says, ‘the just shall live by faith.’ My job was to know that even with facts, I could not put my faith in the facts, my attorney, or the magistrate.  I had to put it in what God said, and believe that justice and mercy are God’s nature. I somehow have to remove the desire to be justified by the evidence. I have to silence that voice that says, if my lawyer states the facts and my documentation proves those facts, I would receive what I had requested based on the facts.

Walking with Jesus has taught me that although he is always aware of the facts, he is moved by faith.

The fact was that the women with the issue of blood had a condition that no doctor had been able to heal. The fact was that Lazarus was dead. The fact was that Elisha and his servant stood before an army with no one else in sight to fight on their behalf.

But each time the facts failed when faith entered the scene.  

When we choose to live a righteous life that is governed by faith and motivated by mercy, our prayers begin to take on the shape of God’s heart rather than our own and God can then do amazing things. When we no longer see the other person as getting away with things and the courts as, ‘letting them,’  but instead, we see them as being shown mercy through the judge from God the Father, we begin to pray the heart of God. When we present our request in prayer to God from this posture, our prayers become effective.

So today, trade in your facts for faith, your judgments for mercy and begin to pray effectively. Turn in all the documentation knowing that the just shall live by faith and God’s heart is for us to seek justice but also to love mercy!

 

We Want To Hear From You:

How did you feel after experiencing your custody battle? How could this new perspective help during and after your custody battle? How was this blog helpful?

 

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