It seemed fitting that the sad news of US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s surgery for pancreatic cancer broke while many of us were at the National Prayer Breakfast. It was just a few years ago, when she was suffering with colon cancer, I personally urged Justice Ginsburg to turn to the Lord, who, I noted, is a “just judge, but also a merciful healer.” While the Justice herself was more than congenial and seemed moved by what I said, one of her aids did not. The young woman took the Justice’s arm and pulled her away from me.

Since that time I have watched the Justice become weaker and visibly sicker. At Court social functions and even on the bench, I saw a progressive pallor overtake her. It was the color of cancer, and it didn’t bode well for her. On two occasions, I watched her collapse in her seat, once almost to the floor–and there was that infamously long snooze on the bench–during a hearing!

The pastoral side of me cares deeply about Justice Ginsburg, a delightful person who reminds me of my late grandmother, Helen “Nana” Schenck. At the same time, Justice Ginsburg has been consistently–even egregiously–wrong on her disposition towards innocent, nascent human life. She just hasn’t grasped the meaning of the inherent value and equal dignity of every human being.

I am praying for Justice Ginsburg and I ask you to do so, too. I’m praying for two things–first, that she will turn to the One whose name is Jehovah-Rapha, “God our healer.” I pray she’ll see Him and press through to touch,  “the hem of His garment.” (See Matthew 9:20) Interestingly, that “hem” was what is called in Hebrew, “tzitzit,” or the traditional knotted fringe Jewish men wear representing the Commandments, or the essence of God’s Word. (Justice Ginsburg is Jewish, but she has said publicly that her religion doesn’t mean much to her.)

Just hours after today’s prayer breakfast, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said he was late to an afternoon news briefing because he had to tell President Obama about the Justice’s condition. I’ve been around Washington and White Houses long enough to know that errand was about more than simply alerting the President’s concern and compassion. (And I have no doubt he has both for the ailing Justice.) When the White House spokesman delivers information like this, more than the President’s protocol officers spring into action. Sure, they’ll get the appropriate presidential “Get Well” note and flower arrangement out the door, but others are no doubt in motion, too. They’re the judicial vetting crew who are, very likely at this moment, already pouring over the files of prospective picks for Justice Ginsburg’s inevitable replacement.

Following suit, we here at Faith and Action will be doing two things at once: We will pray that the Lord will reveal Himself fully as Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s savior and healer, while we gear up for one of the Supreme Court nomination battles of the century!