Pray Without Ceasing

If you have a prayer request, please post it here by clicking on Comments.

Check back regularly. The list is updated periodically.

The Year in Review: 2011

Nags Head Church - 2011 from Nags Head Church on Vimeo.

Please pray for the Gards

Amanda's latest update can be read here.

Things are looking very grim for little Wyatt.

Special Request from Matt Glock Wednesday afternoon!

Greetings everyone.

This is a quick special request email for something that's
happening in the next few hours...

You learned about Tricia, Nathan and Gwyneth in the update I sent
out this morning.

Tonight at 8pm local time (2pm EST). Tricia, Nathan and Sylvie
will attend the premier of Oxygène, a dramatic film that talks
about the experiences of teenagers who have cystic fibrosis.

When Tricia and Nathan were here last year the met Max Gavi who
heads up the local branch of the French Cystic Fibrosis
Foundation. He invited Tricia and Nathan to the film and has
asked that Tricia share her story. Please pray for Tricia as she
shares and for Sylvie as she translates. Pray also that Tricia's
faith would be understood by those who hear and that they would
be drawn to Jesus.

Most Lastest Adoption Update from the Hoffmans

Adoption Update

GIRL!
At 9:30 this morning a baby girl was born. We talked with Stephanie this afternoon. She is doing well and the baby is healthy. She is not ready for us to come down to the hospital yet but she reassured us that she is still going through with the adoption. :)

Since she had a c-section they will both be discharged on Saturday. Not sure what we're suppose to do with ourselves until then, but as far as we know right now we will be bringing home our baby girl in 2 days!!

Thank you for your prayers and please keep them coming!

Adam and Melissa

Pray for Bike & Build

This past week, we hosted Bike and Build for the 4th year. We want to challenge our NHC partners and regular attenders to pray for this group of about 35 young people as they bike from Nags Head to San Diego over the next few months, making many stops along the way raising money and awareness for low income housing.

Lottie Moon Offering

We just wanted to say THANK YOU to all who purchased a Boar's Head ham for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas. We were able to raise $700 that was given to the Lottie Moon December Missions Fund from Nags Head Church! We hope you enjoyed it and look forward to serving you again in the future!
A Joyous New Year to everyone!
Brad & Rebecca Meyers
OBX Deli Provisions

Our total for the foreign missions offering surpassed our goal of $1500! Thanks for giving so that the world might hear.

Absent from the body; present with the Lord - updated

Tommy Drake went to take his place around the throne of God Sunday morning.

Funeral arrangements are pending, but will be held at Nags Head Church.

Claire, Cathy, Chris and Leslie are in need of your prayers.

Updates will be posted on this blog as they are known.

Update: see the comments about giving financially to help Claire with expenses.

Update: The service celebrating Tommy's life and faith will be at NHC on Saturday, Nov. 27 at 2PM. A viewing is planned from 1:00 until just prior to the service, but that is pending. Burial will be in the Manteo Cemetery after the service.

Update: following the burial we will return to the church for a reception. Please bring a dish of finger foods if you are able to the service and leave it in the kitchen.

Update: Although the service begins at 2PM, there will be a viewing from 1:00-1:45.

This Wednesday Night: CREST

There's an amazing praise to give God this Wednesday night. Don't miss the opportunity for the jaw dropping news. 7PM.

Team France

On Tuesday members of the MP 13 Band and a few others are going to Grenoble, France to work with Matt and Sylvie Glock and churches in the area. It will include both outreach as the band plays on the streets of Grenoble during the Music Festival 2010and interaction and sharing with the local churches.

You can follow the team on their trip by visiting the Team France blog. And if you want to email the team the address is france@nagsheadchurch.org.

Here's a video Nathan made that Matt is using to connect with our hosts before our arrival. Please pray for us and for those we minister to and share Christ with in France.

Prayer Request from France

Dear Friends,
In the life of the a French church baptisms are events that stand out. Tomorrow at the CEP there will be two baptisms, Jérôme, who's in his mid-40's and Pascal, our son. We are really excited. Jérôme's wife Isabelle was baptized last year so tomorrow is a big day in their family. The guests of the two families will probably outnumber the folks from the CEP. Please pray for Jérôme and Pascal. Also pray for all those who will be visiting.

With love in Christ,
Matt and Sylvie

From Robin Brooks

Dear Praying Friends,

Thank you so much for your prayers for my Grandpa and for all of you who have sent words of encouragement to our family. We are so blessed to have so many people praying for us. Many of you have been writing this week to ask for an update on his condition and also and update on my health situation. So here’s a brief update.

Grandpa:
My Grandpa has improved somewhat with the care that Hospice has been providing. Hospice says that this is normal for Alzheimer’s patients and they are still overseeing his care. At this point they cannot give a specific life expectancy, but it doesn’t seem to be as imminent as they first thought in their initial evaluation. So my parents are continuing on with their ministry trip in the South Pacific and my uncle has taken his ministry trip to Peru. We’re praying God will sustain Grandpa’s life until their scheduled return to the USA, but they will return if Grandpa makes a significant downward turn. We appreciate your continued prayers for my Grandparent’s through this uncertain and emotional time. We are trusting that God has all things under control and we are in the center of His care. I’ll let you know when he has transferred to his Heavenly Home.

My Health
Thank you too for your prayers for my health and the treatments for my asthma and allergies. It’s not easy to give a report because my lung condition is still in the “Chronic, acute, persistent” category, which means that it is unstable. A report this morning may even change by the end of the day. But I do feel that I’ve made a little progress this past month. However, I have a continual virus of some sort and it usually ends up in my lungs. I have very little voice and find that conversations are actually harder on me that activities. So I continue to keep a quiet and low profile. I’m trying to increase my activities before having to increase my interaction with people. I have an excellent Dr and I continue to see him weekly for evaluation and adjustment of medications. We are working together to keep my lungs clear enough to get a monthly asthma shot. That is pretty much a daily challenge, but I was able to receive my second asthma shot yesterday. Last month’s shot gave me a few days of increased lung capacity so I’m anticipating the same with this shot. However, the Dr and nurses all say that it takes three or four months of these shots before things stabilize. But that lands us right in the middle of the Spring allergy season, so they are not guaranteeing a huge change before a year of being on these shots. We cannot begin my allergy shots until I have the asthma under control, so that part of the treatment is till on hold indefinitely. I know that God can speed this process up, but at the same time He may choose to let the medication take it’s normal course. So I’ll trust Him with whatever time frame He wants to bring improvement.

This will continue to be a long term prayer request through the remainder of my medical furlough which goes through August. I don’t plan on sending out many updates as things change so often and I’m also trying to keep up with the therapy and increased activity the doctor has assigned to keep me progressing. I don’t have much energy for correspondence after I’ve completed all that for a day. But I do appreciate so much your prayers and know that God is answering in His time. He is keeping me encouraged and strengthened in the Lord. I’m enjoying my extended times in prayer and the Word and know that He is preparing me for what He has next.

I appreciate each one of you and thank you for your support and encouragement.
God Bless,
Robin

BIG Prayer for Kids Zone!

If we've done all that has been asked of us, tomorrow should be the final, passing inspection for NHC to receive permission to occupy the Kids Zone. Pray with us on Friday that everything passes inspection!

Want to find out if it passes? Come on Sunday morning and find out!!!

Haitian Earthquake

Pray for the Haitian people, the majority of whom live in impoverished conditions. Devastation like this is multiplied in their situation.

Pray for those who are going to help with the rescue/recovery/rebuilding efforts. If you can give, Franklin Graham and Samaritans Purse are involved.

Pray for Christian missionaries already on the field and those on their way to assist with both humanitarian and evangelistic outreaches to be blessed. Haiti's national religion is voodoo, and is a stronghold for demonic power.

WinterFest! - Please pray for our youth and leaders

This morning 34 youth plus a bunch of adult leaders left in 4 vans for Liberty University's annual New Year's blow out. Not only does WinterFest pack in a ton of fun activities over 3 days, it also packs a powerful spiritual punch as well, as some of the very best youth speakers and bands converge together.

Please be in prayer for their safety (they'll be going ice skating among other things and they could see some "winter weather"), but more importantly for the Holy Spirit to ignite within them a passion for following Christ like never before. They're adolescents - which means they all are dealing with issues, but some more so than others.

And pray for the adults who are there as well!!

If you want to know more about WinterFest, click here.

Two Years Later (almost!)..."Micro Preemie" Baby Enjoys Christmas

In Christmas Day's Pilot.

Noon Prayer Every Thursday

Every Thursday at noon we have an hour of prayer in the lobby at NHC. You're welcome and encouraged to come and stay for as much as you are able and pray.

The Six "Ps" of Prayer

Prayer is connecting, conversing and communicating with God. He allows us to come to him in prayer whenever it suits us. We can talk with him about whatever we choose, for as long as we like.

His word encourages us to pray at all times in the spirit (Eph 6:18), to devote ourselves to prayer (Col. 4:2) and to pray without ceasing (I Thess. 5:17).

We are the only part of creation that has this relationship with God. Jesus is our example. He being God the Son prayed to God the Father. He also gave us the model prayer found in Matthew 6:9-13.

I. PRAISE
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…. (v. 9)
There are two kinds of praise.

•Adoration – Praising God for who he is;
•Thanksgiving – praising God for what he has done.
“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Be thankful unto Him, and bless His name”. Psalm 100:4

II.PURPOSE
“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (v. 10) I commit myself to God’s purpose and will for my life.

“Offer yourself as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to His service and pleasing to Him. This is true worship that you should offer”. Romans 12:2

III. PROVISION
We ask God to provide for our needs.
“Give us this day our daily bread”.

God wants us to bring all our needs before him. (James 4:2) His word says “We have not, because we ask not and that we should not worry, but pray." (Philippians 4:6)

IV. PARDON
We are to ask God to forgive us of our sins.
“Forgive us our debts” (v. 12)

Confess each sin, make restitution when necessary and accept his forgiveness.
“He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having cancelled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us, and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross”. (Col. 2:13b-14)

V. PEOPLE
We are to pray for other people.
“As we have forgiven our debtors”. (v. 12)

Pray for family, friends, spiritual and government leaders.
“Pray much for others, plead for God’s mercy upon them; give thanks for all He is going to do for them”. (I Timothy 2:1)

VI. PROTECTION
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one”. (v. 13)
We face a spiritual battle everyday. Satan wants to defeat us through temptation and fear. By praying for protection, we will have the confidence to face every situation during the day.
“Greater is He who is in you, then He who is in the world”. (I John 4:4)

When Israel was in exile Nehemiah was a cupbearer to the King. One day the King asked him why his face was so sad and what he could do for him. Nehemiah prayed to the God of heaven and he said to the King…. (Neh. 2:1-5) This was one of those “Lord, help me” prayers. This is what God wants from us – an attitude of prayer. We are to be ready to pray over the phone, at a public place with a friend in need, for the firemen, EMT’s or police when we hear their sirens.

When we are connected to the God of heaven we are able to connect others with Him also.

Steve Wise

Relief efforts in Georgia and the Pacific

(This is from Gaylon Moss, the director of NC Baptist Relief. Our church is a supporting church in this ministry.)

An Assessment Team departed for Douglasville, GA today to help with the recovery effort. We are still anticipating a mudout/tearout response.

An International Search and Rescue medical team departs on Oct. 1 to assist Hungarian Baptist Aid in the Philippines.

We have made an offer to the Hawaii-Pacific Baptist Convention to assist with tsunami damage in American-Samoa.

Please pray for those affected and those who respond. Pray that people will “see our good deeds and praise our Father in heaven.”(Mt. 5:16).

Gaylon Moss
Disaster Relief Director
NC Baptist Men

A New Opportunity for Prayer

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayers. - Acts 2:42

The very first church was so amazingly powerful, wasn't it? At the end of the second chapter of Acts it tells us that that power resulted in ...every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved.

If you read from the beginning of their story in Acts you'll discover that prayer seemed to be the unifying activity prior to the Holy Spirit's coming upon them on the day of Pentecost. All these were continually united in prayer... says Acts 1:14.

Could NHC find more opportunities to unify in prayer; to gather for the sole purpose of calling out to God and expecting Him to answer? It's not that we don't pray. We do. Our Connection Groups all have a time of praying together. Most F1rst Wednesday gatherings include some time for prayer, too. Many of our Ministry Teams pause for prayer on Sunday mornings before they serve. But what if we had more time to pray together?

That's a tough one in such a busy culture. And there isn't any easy way to add times to pray. But that shouldn't stop us from moving forward! So...

Each Thursday from noon to 1PM any and all who can are invited to stop by and join with others in the Lobby at NHC to pray. You don't have to stay the whole hour. You can drop in any time during the hour and stay and pray as long as you are able.

The Bible teaches us that prayer touches God's heart and changes the hearts of men. History tells us that the great revivals experienced by the church began with prayer. So we're going to pray. Please feel free and welcome to join us each Thursday. And let's see how God responds.