Daniel 1:6-7 NIV
“Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.”
INSIGHT
–Names are key for identification and different cultures, environmental conditions and beliefs dictate both the naming criteria and the actual names given. Biblically, we find various references of individuals and families that relied on God for naming of their children including Zachariah and Elizabeth, Joseph and Mary etc. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were given new names according to the Babylonian gods. Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah the pagan sun god and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife (Genesis 41:45). This shows the value of naming in these pagan cultures. Even though Daniel and his friends, and also Joseph were given foreign names they did not abandon their faith in God.
PRAYER
Almighty God our Redeemer, our Hiding place, our Fortress and Shield, we come before Your most Holy Name this day. We come with humble adoration exultation You and magnifying Your Holy Name for there is none like You in all the heavens and earth. Oh Lord we thank You that You have given us a new name in You. We thank You for Your sacrifice on the cross that has given us new life free from bondage, and we are more than victorious in You. Thank You that You have taken away every form of shame and evil and evil name that the devil had placed upon us and given us beauty for ashes and a garment of praise with the oil of joy and gladness. Lord we take refuge in Your name Lord Jesus for Your name is our strong tower and we will surely be safe when we run to it and call upon it. May You increase our faith and refresh us daily by Your fresh anointing. We thank You Lord and we exalt Your Name, we pray this in Jesus Mighty and, Amen.
Further reading: Hebrews 10:38
Genesis 17:5-9 NIV
“No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.” Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.”
INSIGHT
-God declared His intentions to change the identity of Abram and Sarai, and deliver His promise to them. Abram which means “Exalted Father” possibly referring to God was renamed Abraham which means “father of many” was marked for a special purpose. Abraham was promised a son in his old age and the covenant of making him fruitful, and a father of many nations who would rule as kings was established in him and his descendants. His wife Sarai was also given a new name Sarah which means princess thus the evidence of becoming the mother of kings (Genesis 17:15-16). God has established us through faith in Christ and the covenant of making us great is evident for we are kings and priests to God and we rule on earth (Revelation 5:10). If we are Abraham’s seed then we are Christ’s and heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:29).
PRAYER
Oh what a privilege to be called Your children Lord God our Father and co-heirs with You Christ our Lord and Savior. What a blessing to be named Kings and priests to You and an honor to rule here on earth through Your power precious Holy Spirit. What a privilege that You have made us to seat in heavenly places in Christ Jesus that we may experience the exceeding riches of Your grace. We are in awe of You Lord for the great and mighty work that You performed through our father Abraham as we hold fast our faith in You Christ Jesus. What a wonderful gift of eternal life that You have bestowed upon us and our descendants. May all Your promises and purposes unto us come to life in our lives, families, communities, churches, ministries, schools and education systems, government systems, judicial and legislative bodies. May Your will prevail over all and Your purposes come to fruition in our lives. May You make us fruitful, help us to multiply and fill the earth in every sphere of our lives. We praise You and honor You Abba Father, and it is in Jesus mighty name we pray believing and trusting. Amen
Further reading: Romans 8:14-17
Genesis 32:28 NIV
“Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”
INSIGHT
-Jacob had acknowledged God as the source of all blessing and was about to re-enter the promised land. Jacob had thus chosen the path of obedience to God’s commandments and the chastening that leads to righteousness as he had struggled with God and man, and had overcome. The Lord then acknowledged Jacob as His servant by changing his name to Israel and the mandate that he had the seed of Abraham. By changing his name from Jacob from Israel, God confirmed His promise to Jacob saying, “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants” (Genesis 35:10-11). Jacob was now completely endowed as God’s chosen servant of His beloved people the Israelites and a partaker of the promise. We are called then to be obedient to God’s word and keep the faith through prayer, thanksgiving and fellowship with one another and the Holy Spirit.
PRAYER
Lord You are Good and Your mercies endures forever. Let the house of Aaron say His love endures forever. Let the house of Jacob say His love endures forever. Let the nation of Kenya say His love endures forever. We praise You our God, and exalt You. We give thanks to You Lord, for You are Good and Your love endures forever. May You forgive us all our iniquities, transgressions and sins, and wash us with Your precious blood. May You heal us, our families and nation, and grant us good success. Lord You are Righteous and our righteousness is in You. Lord Jesus You have promised that the righteous will flourish like palm trees, they will grow like a cedars of Lebanon planted in the house of the Lord, and they will flourish in the courts of our God. Lord Jesus may You enable us to bear much fruit now and in our old age, and stay fresh and green forever. Lord You are upright, our Rock and there is no wickedness in You. Amen
Further reading: Ephesians 5:15-20
Acts 13:9 NIV
“Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said,”
INSIGHT
-Saul the man who persecuted disciples was feared and dreaded. He worked in cahoots with the high priest as he sort for letters to the synagogue in Damascus that would enable his seize the men and women of God as prisoners in Jerusalem. When he approached the city of Damascus, Jesus appeared to him in a bright light and asked, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4). We find later Saul changing his name to Paul, after his conversion. It was customary to have a given name like for Saul who had a Jewish background, and later as Paul having a Roman, Hellenistic background. Therefore, from Saul to Paul, he succeeded to preach to Paulus or to the fact that he was able to enter the Gentile phase of his ministry and reach the unreached.
PRAYER
Lord we need You in our lives. We are nothing without You dear Lord Jesus. We surrender our fears, anxieties, limitations and burdens unto You Jesus for You care for us and You give us rest. We cast all our cares unto You dear Lord and You will sustain us and You not let the righteous be shaken. Lord Jesus You have made us righteous by Your grace through faith and it is not by our works lest anyone should boast. Your grace is sufficient for us and Your power is made perfect in weakness. We then boast all the more gladly about our weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on us. For Your sake Christ we delight in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and difficulties. When we are weak then we are strong in You dear Lord Jesus. May You deliver us dear Lord Jesus and heal us, our families, communities and nation. Deliver our youth and all people from drug abuse and addiction, sexual immorality and adultery, corruption and misappropriation of funds, idolatry and evil addictions. May You transform us and deliver us like You changed Saul to Paul dear Lord Jesus and fill us afresh with Your Holy Spirit. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and forevermore. Amen
Further reading: Psalm 55:22, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Matthew 16:16-19 NIV
“Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
INSIGHT
–Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter and realigns his destiny. While Peter’s name means rock, it is actually Peter’s confession about who Jesus, the Christ and the Son of the Living God. Jesus will build His church upon this confession. Jesus Himself is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Christ declares that He will build His church upon the same confession that Peter made of properly identifying Jesus.
SUMMARY
Change of name is not new according to various Biblical accounts. Abram’s name was changed to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah as God wanted to do a new thing and release new blessings in their lives and their generation. God released His blessing to them and their generations making them great and a kingdom of kings and releasing an eternal possession through faith in God (Genesis 17:5-9). This was confirmed when the same blessing was proclaimed upon Jacob their grandson (Genesis 35:10-11), for he had wrestled with God and man and had prevailed (Genesis 32:28). King Nebuchadnezzar’s chief executive official changed the names of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah to Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego according to the Babylonian gods and their culture (Daniel 1:6-7). Saul’s persecuted disciples of Christ and later after his conversion, his name was changed to Paul, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:9). This change of name occassioned a new life in Christ and a became a devout apostle of Christ. Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter upon whose confession of faith, Christ has build His church. Jesus Himself is the Rock (Petra), upon which the church is built. No one then can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11). Therefore we need to have unvaivering faith in Christ Jesus Who will come to take His bride the church when He returns (Revelation 21:2).
PRAYER
Almighty Father we adore Your name and exalt You for there is none like You. We thank You that Your Name is our strong and migh tower and surely we run to it and we are safe. We thank You for Your Name is our weapon in times of trouble, for at the mention of Your name Lord Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Thank You Lord that You are for us and always fight for us in all situations. Thank You Lord that You have good plans for us, to prosper us and not to harm us, to give us hope and a future. Father we thank You for You have named us a blessed chosen generation and royal priesthood. You have named us a victorious people because of Your Son Jesus Christ. We pray that every negative meaning of our individual names shall be transformed and conformed to Your will and purpose in our lives. That we shall obtain a new name in You Jesus Christ. We exalt You and magnify You oh Lord. May You sanctify us by You precious blood and purify us from all sins and iniquities. Our Father who art in heaven; hallowed be Your name; Your Kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptations but deliver us from evil; for thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory; forever and ever. May You bless us and keep us dear Lord Jesus. May You shine Your face towards us and be gracious unto us. May You show Your countenance unto us and give us peace. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and forevermore. Amen.
Further reading: 1 Corinthians 10:2-4