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Pray for Scotland - Lighthouses of Prayer
Following on from a 'Connect Scotland' initiative which saw Bert McKaig of Pray for Scotland travel from Shetlan to the south of Scotland, Ernie Gibson reports on the development of 'Lighthouses of Prayer'.
 In the summer of 2007 Bert McKaig of Pray for Scotland had a vision to travel throughout Scotland and meet with people in their own localities to share and pray with them. It was known as Connect Scotland.
A small core team started at Easter in the very north of Shetland and finished on Pentecost Sunday with a united march down the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, followed by an open air praise and prayer time in Holyrood Park, a truly memorable event.
Pray for Scotland’s main mission is to encourage God’s people to rise up and pray so that we see the light of God’s kingdom bringing a change in our homes, families, workplaces, communities, towns, cities and our nation.
More recently, as part of this prayer movement we are encouraging people to consider using the vision of ‘Lighthouses of Prayer’. Some of these principles were applied in the more recent Luis Palau crusade in the Highlands and it was considered to be one of the major factors that fuelled the Argentinian revival in the late 20th century.
All these were continually united in prayer .... (Acts 1:14)
Lighthouses of Prayer is one example of folk meeting in prayer for their street, their workplace, their community - and it is a model that is expanding fast. Since Pray for Scotland adopted ‘Lighthouses’ as their current prayer focus in 2008 we have seen over 100 groups established all around the nation. We believe that God is blessing this format because it is bringing Christians from many different backgrounds together in unity of purpose - and where we ‘dwell in unity’, God commands the blessing!
Any convenient meeting place can be used though we particularly encourage people to consider using their homes. When believers band together to pray for their neighbours they are a spiritual Lighthouse. They ask the Lord to shine the light of his grace and blessing into their neighbours homes and lives. In addition, they ask God to help them show love to their neighbours and share the Good News of Jesus with them.
People who have adopted this vision have discovered that prayer is the key to shining heaven’s light of blessing into this dark world. (Isaiah 60:1 – 3).
Yes, prayer can change your life and your neighbourhood. Your home can be a beacon of light and love: guiding neighbours to safety in Jesus, working with God to protect them from evil, and supporting them in their journey through life.
Pray about what God might want you to do. There are a growing number of believers adopting this model such as in the Orkneys and the Western Isles and we are looking to the Lord to inspire others to do likewise to cover our beloved Scotland with prayer.
Training for Lighthouses of Prayer is provided by Pray for Scotland and the team are now finding it a challenge to respond to all the requests for Lighthouse training seminars - we need more folk to ‘catch the vision’ and take it back to their areas. Is God calling you to start a Lighthouse in your street, in your community? Is He calling you to share the vision and equip others to start their own groups? It is so easy to do!!
 Ernie Gibson in the representative for Pray for Scotland in the Highlands.
If you feel that you would like to know more about Pray for Scotland and the Lighthouses of Prayer initiative contact:
admin@prayfor Scotland.org.uk
Ed footnote: The Christians Together web site has a directory and mapping system for groups of people who are meeting regularly to pray. Check it out, and if your prayer group is not listed -
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Ernie Gibson, 13/02/2010
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