(Christiana, Andrea and Nicole preparing to pray over those to know Jesus who may be far from Him, on December 6, 2025.)

“The LORD is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 (ESV)

December is a month of reflection. As the year comes to an end, we find ourselves looking back on how God has carried us through the valleys and the mountaintops, through prayers answered, and prayers still unfolding. The shorter days and longer nights invite a slower pace, creating space for stillness and introspection.

On a personal note, 2025 has been marked by the power and presence of our Almighty God. As my family approaches the one-year anniversary of my dad’s diagnosis with metastatic pancreatic cancer, we look back in awe at how God has sustained us. We have witnessed His provision as my dad entered a clinical trial. By His mercy, we have yet another year to celebrate His goodness. At the same time, I reflect on how the LORD delivered me through breast cancer. We are profoundly grateful for the love and support of our friends, family, and medical teams.  Above all, we know this truth: we would not have endured apart from Jesus. He has been our hope, our comfort, our peace, and our strength. Emmanuel, God with us, has carried us through 2025.

At the beginning of December, our family found ourselves advocating for my dad to be enrolled in a clinical trial. We made calls, sent emails, and leaned into every connection available to us. We were overwhelmed with gratitude for those who dropped everything to help us. Yet in the midst of that gratitude, the LORD brought a gentle but holy conviction. Are we as earnest in bringing the names of our loved ones before the LORD for salvation as we are in seeking healing for the body? Earthly healing matters but is temporary. Salvation is eternal.

With the Christmas season fast approaching, Nicole Hayes and I carried the same burden on our hearts. On December 6th, we gathered to intercede for those who do not yet know the LORD. We invited members of Gathered in His Name to come prepared with the names of friends, family members, coworkers, and loved ones who may be far from Him. Together, Nicole, Christiana, and I lifted 36 names before God one by one, trusting Him to move in hearts and circumstances far beyond our comprehension. We also prayed more broadly for all people, especially during this Christmas season, believing that hearts are often more open to receive the good news of Jesus.

Before we began praying, we spent time meditating on Scripture, grounding ourselves in the truth that God always answers prayers that align with His will. We reflected on Luke 15 and God’s heart for the lost. In each of Jesus’ parables, the response to what was lost being found is joy! The shepherd rejoices when the sheep is found (Luke 15:5-7). The woman calls others to rejoice when the lost coin is recovered (Luke 15:9-10). The father runs to his returning son and insists on celebration because the one who was lost is now found (Luke 15:20-24). Again and again, Jesus shows us that heaven does not respond quietly when one sinner repents. There is rejoicing! The angels celebrate. The Father delights. God is intentional and personal, and His heart is always moved by the one.

We prayed through Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3, asking that hearts would be strengthened with power through the Spirit, rooted and grounded in love, and filled with the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:14–21). We also read excerpts from Prayers and Spiritual Warfare by Charles Spurgeon and Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To by Anthony DeStefano, including what is often called one of the most dangerous prayers: a prayer of full surrender.

Our time together was marked not only by intercession, but by gratitude. We are thankful for every person who labored in prayer with us this year. I am especially grateful for my sister in Christ, Nicole Hayes, who serves with humility, excellence, and a deep love for God and others. Her service to the body and her care for this ministry are evident in countless ways, from baking Christmas cupcakes and offering thoughtful hospitality, to her administrative excellence behind the scenes. She is intentional in her follow-ups, generous with her time, and always willing to reach out and pray with others, no matter how busy she may be. Her joy-filled faithfulness reflects the heart of Christ and has been a gift to all of us!

As we look ahead to 2026, we do so with humility, knowing that it is only by God’s grace we are given another year. Yet even in that surrender, the calling feels unmistakably clear. We reflect on the words of Jesus, that we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us and that we will be His witnesses, beginning right where we are (Acts 1:8). The city of Bethesda, Maryland is often called “a world in one neighborhood,” and we do not have to travel far to encounter people in need of hope. God has placed us here, in this time and in this place, for His purposes. The harvest is not distant. It is all around us!

We are reminded of the mission described in Isaiah 61, the call to “proclaim good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and to comfort those who mourn” (Isaiah 61:1-3). This is the heart of Gathered in His Name, and we believe it will take deeper shape in the year ahead. Christiana shared a prophetic word that 2026 would be a year of radical soul-winning, marked by being sent, by speaking, and by proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ with greater urgency and obedience.

We end with a simple but passionate prayer. One we trust the LORD delights to answer:

Use us, LORD!

Merry Christmas!

-Andrea