Genesis 17:1-8
Abram Is Named Abraham
17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. 2 I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.”
3 At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him, 4 “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! 5 What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham,[a] for you will be the father of many nations. 6 I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them!
7 “I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants[b] after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”
Names are important. They are the words that we speak over ourselves every day and they can shape us, reminding us of promises and embedding promises or curses into our identity. What do you think about your name?
When we had our children, we spent more time praying about the meaning of their names than their vibe. We wanted the words of truth that would be spoken over them to shape them and bless them throughout their lives. Even when we are angry and shout their names, they are still chosen to be blessings.
When Jesus met a fisherman called Simon, he decided that he needed a new name. Simon became Peter, meaning the Rock. He wanted Peter to know that he would be the rock of the early church, long before he felt ready. While his faith was shaking and he was denying Jesus, every time someone greeted him, they named him the Rock.
Saul was a zealous Jew who persecuted and killed Christians as traitors to Judaism. After an encounter with Jesus, his name was changed. He was no longer Saul but Paul, which means humble. God wanted to point him to a new future.
A friend of mine decided a few years ago to stop intruding himself as Dan. He explained that the name Dan means ’to judge’ but the name Daniel means that God is the judge. He wanted his life to point to God and so decided to stop editing God from his name.
It isn’t just the formal ones on our passports that are important but the ones that we speak over ourselves every day. My daughter has many names that I call her. I tell her that she is beautiful, smart, kind, generous. I don’t just praise her - I speak these into her identity. I want these to settle into her identity at the deepest level.
What names have been spoken over you? Perhaps a parent or teacher spoke something about you and it still echoes in your soul. Did you know that you can change it?
