(Photo: The Bethesda Meeting House located in Bethesda, Md.)

God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ Exodus 3:14, NIV)

Prayer often begins with good intentions, but it can easily become more focused on the what and the how. Which scripture should we pray? What sin should we confess? What praise should we offer? We may also think about practical details. When should we pray? Where should we pray? What posture should we take? These are important questions, yet in focusing on the “what” and the “how” we sometimes overlook the most important question of all: the who. Who is the God who hears and answers our prayer?

Scripture reminds us that prayer is not simply about our requests; it is about the One whose name we call upon. Jesus encourages us to ask in His name, promising that the Father hears and responds: “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:13-14). Our ministry is called Gathered in His Name, built on the promise of Matthew 18:20: “For where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them.” If we gather in His name, then it is worth asking: who is this God whose name we invoke when we pray?

As a church community, one of our prayer points for 2026 is to grow in a deeper understanding of God’s character as revealed through His many names. While we can never fully know Him, we long for greater revelation of who He is. God reveals Himself through His Word, through the work of the Holy Spirit, and through the testimonies of His people. He also reveals His character through His names, each one offering a glimpse into His nature.

With this in mind, on Saturday, February 28th, we gathered at the Bethesdan Hotel before setting out on our outreach event. We began by reading from Exodus 3, where Moses encounters God at the burning bush. In that moment Moses asks God His name, and God replies, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). This moment reveals something profound about God’s character. God is eternal, self-existent, unchanging, and most importantly present with His people. One of the most comforting promises in this passage is when God tells Moses, “I will be with you” (Exodus 3:12). This reveals the very heart of God.

That morning Titi, David, Nicole, and I took turns reading the passage aloud and reflecting on the revelation of the Great I AM given to Moses. From there we turned to the New Testament and read through the seven “I AM” statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John, recognizing that the same divine character revealed in the Old Testament is also revealed through Christ. There in the Bethesdan Hotel we reflected on these powerful declarations: Jesus says, “I am the Bread of Life” (John 6:35), the one who satisfies our deepest spiritual hunger. “I am the Light of the World” (John 8:12), the one who guides us through darkness. “I am the Door” (John 10:7), the entry into salvation. “I am the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11), who protects, leads, and lays down His life for His people. “I am the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25), whose life conquers death. “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6), the one and only path to the Father. “I am the True Vine” (John 15:1), the source of our spiritual life and fruitfulness. As we meditated on these declarations, we were reminded that Jesus truly gives us everything we need.

From there Nicole drove us to the Bethesda Meeting House. This was deeply symbolic, as the Bethesda Meeting House is the church that gave the city of Bethesda its name, drawn from the biblical Pool of Bethesda in John 5. Standing at the place that carries that name, we took turns reading aloud the story of the paralytic man who had been waiting 38 years for healing. As we read the passage we came to the moment where Jesus asks the man, “Do you want to get well?” (John 5:6). The man replies that he has no one to help him into the pool when the waters are stirred.

In the middle of reading the story, our sister Titi paused and said that we needed to pray for our brother David. David had been dealing with an injured foot for several months that had limited his mobility but not his desire to serve. Right there at the House of Mercy we gathered around him, laid hands on his foot, and prayed for healing in Jesus’ name. The paralytic man had said he had no one to bring him to the waters when they were stirred, yet intercession is exactly that! Prayer brings people before the Lord and places them at the feet of Jesus. Through prayer we stir the waters of the Spirit and lift one another before Him.

After praying we returned to the Scripture and turned the page only to read the words, “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.’ At once the man was cured” (John 5:8-9). Filled with joyful faith, Titi told David to begin walking on his foot and not wanting to miss the movement of the Spirit, she asked that we also pray for her own foot. Standing there together at the House of Mercy, we were reminded that our God is still a healer.

That morning, we did not simply read about mercy in Scripture. We encountered the God whose mercies are new every morning. The God whose steadfast love and lovingkindness pursue His people. The God who still meets us in places of need, still hears the cries of His people, and still invites us into healing, restoration, and relationship with Him.

Titi, David and Nicole (along with Andrea) read and pray through the names of God contained in the book, Praying Through the Names of God by Dr. Tony Evans outside the Bethesda Meeting House property.

After reflecting on the story of Bethesda, we continued by praying through several names of God. These prayers were inspired by the book Praying the Names of God by Dr. Tony Evans, graciously given to me as a birthday gift from our sister Nicole, which helped frame our reflections on knowing God more deeply through His names. We prayed to Jehovah, the relational God who desires to know us personally. Adonai, the Master and Lord of our lives. El Elyon, the Most High God who is sovereign over every circumstance. El Emunah, the faithful God who never fails. Elohei Tehillati, the God of our praise. Jehovah Hoshiah, the Lord who saves.

Praise God that the Great I AM still hears our prayers, still meets us in places of mercy, and still reveals Himself to those who seek Him.

In Jesus’ mighty name.

-Andrea