Day 14: Restoring the Church to Her Role as a Lighthouse
Intention
To pray for God to restore the Church to her role as a lighthouse, warning of the dangers of rejecting the teaching that human life is made in the image of God.
Scripture
“The Lord looked and was displeased
to find there was no justice.
He was amazed to see that no one intervened
to help the oppressed.”
– Isaiah 59:15–16
Reflection
The early Church was born into the pagan Roman world of fatal blood sports and infant exposure. Christians were soon marked by their care of the sick and dying, even at risk to their own lives during severe plagues.
While pagans would often abandon their own family members during times of crisis, Christians, viewing the human body as the temple of the Holy Spirit, would provide proper burials for total strangers who lacked the means.
The consistent love witness of the Church established a credible platform to teach their surrounding culture that human life is made in the image of God, and therefore sacred from beginning to natural end. The effect was literally revolutionary.
In the equally pagan modern Australia, it’s culturally common to profane the sanctity of marriage, biological sex and human life itself in respectable courthouses and sterile clinics, instead of smoke-filled temples of hewn stone. Ancient spiritual powers hide in modernity, but are no less pervasive.
We kid ourselves though, if we think the Church’s witness to the sanctity of life is even half as strong in democratically safe Australia as it was in dangerous Rome. Pastors don’t want to offend people, or don’t want to be seen to be political (whatever that means) — even though the gospel has always been naturally offensive and counter-cultural.
But as we fast and pray for mercy and redemption in our nation, let us pray that the Church would again be publicly seen to be a lighthouse, a beacon of prominent light warning of dangerous rocks.
Video
Prayer
Lord Jesus, would you sovereignly move in your Church to break this fear of man and reputations lost off us, so we can boldly be a lighthouse: intervening like a beam of light in the darkness in this nation for those who are lost, lonely and hungry for the Bread of Life.
Would you, by your grace and mercy, enable us to be a place of refuge for the abortion-vulnerable. May they, encouraged by our witness, run to the Church for support instead of an abortion clinic.
Would you, by the healing provision of Calvary, equip us to minister healing, redemption and restoration to those men and women who have abortion in their past.
May your people again be marked by a fearless commitment to loving the least of our neighbours, though strangers, though hidden from sight, though small in size.
May the shepherds you have provided to feed your sheep, count ministry opportunities more precious than being popular or well liked.
May your Church in Australia no longer be content with the status quo of industrialised and subsidised child sacrifice, or be lethargic with preaching gospel truth to those most in need of your divine mercy and redemption.
For our lethargy and fear of man, O Lord, we repent with grief and sorrow.
Thank you for your forgiveness, and now fill our mouths with the words of life, give us grace to serve, and an unmistakable, culture-reforming, public witness to the Imago Dei and the sanctity of human life. Amen.
Author Bio
Dave Pellowe is a speaker in churches, Christian schools and conferences on Christian engagement in the public square, specialising in teaching what Almighty God says about complex social issues. Dave founded Church and State ministries in 2016, a nationwide ministry equipping Christians to be public salt and light: redeeming the culture, discipling the debate and advocating for righteousness in government.
Prayer Points for 21 Days for Life 2026
- The Holy Spirit to transform our culture so that the shedding of this innocent blood becomes unthinkable in Australia. (Micah 6:7–8)
- The Church be one, praying and advocating for the unborn. (John 17:21)
- Each church across Australia to become a trusted place of mercy and redemption, so that anyone experiencing an unexpected pregnancy or who has been wounded by abortion will find help, hope and healing. For every church to be an effective House of Refuge for the unborn and their families, and Hubs of Love to be established in every city and town in the nation. (Hebrews 4:16)
- Those considering or wounded by abortion to receive compassionate and confidential care by contacting Pregnancy Help Australia or visiting a life-affirming pregnancy centre. (Exodus 15:26)
- Walks for life to flourish in every state and territory as a public witness. (Matthew 5:14–16)
- Australians to vote for and elect bold MPs who’ll stand for and champion the sanctity of life. (Psalm 139:13–16)
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Thank you for the wonderful write up Dave and and God’s vision for the Body of Christ. These thoughts help us all pray for the church and ourselves, so we live with His compassion in our heart, with His Holy commandments in view (not the world’s view) and helps us pray for restoration of His church. May there be no compromise so it is Lighthouse amidst the darkness of of age and oppression of the poor and outcast. May many more of the unborn be saved, many more lives be salvaged, the lost find a home where they are loved and marriage be honored…May Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, the living word, and Good Shepherd be foremost in our our hearts.
I lift up my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from?
‘To pray for God to restore the Church to her role as a lighthouse’
Where do you even get this idea of lighthouses from? Are lighthouses even in the Bible?
We should not be looking to lighthouses, that dodgy group ‘Church & State’ see themselves as a lighthouse but all they are is a diversion. They preach the evil of branch stacking in political parties. They take our eyes off Jesus and divert them to their twisted agendas.
As Christians let’s stay focused on Christ. Not ‘light houses’ who encourage us to infiltrate political parties like Church & State do, so they can branch stack and manipulate and control political parties against their wishes.
As Christians we need to focus on Jesus, not these unbiblical ‘lighthouses’ like Church & State who engage in totally abhorrent and anti- Christian behaviours.
Even for us pro-life people, we can’t engage in the immoral behavior advocated by David Pellowe that we should branch stack unsuspecting political parties. That’s pure evil.
I see nothing wrong Col with the use of a lighthouse to describe some of the attributes of Christianity.
A lighthouse warning of danger, danger of running aground, ruin on the rocks of sin. Lost in the dark at sea, in a sea of sin and worldlyness, seeing a light, there’s land ahead, something to take a bearing on, a glimmer of hope.
Yes the church can be a lighthouse to the lost, a warning of impending danger and ruin, a light in a dark world.
Its a lovely metaphor and well used in my opinion.
Also Col, Jesus said we are to be salt and light.