Change Your Name And Story Through Prayers By Pastor Paul A. Adefuye
Names carry deep significance, from the bible, names carry deep significance. They represent destiny, identity, and purpose.
Names represent identity, purpose, and destiny. Either you believe it or yes. Now I came from a Muslim background, when my parents had me, they gave me a name, Abdul Wasiu.
Then 1998, that’s about 26 years ago, I encountered Jesus. While I was supposed to go to what the other people call Islamia with my siblings, that day I took my bible and I went to church.
And I was coming back from distance between the church and my house was like 5 minutes walk, but I used like 45-50 minutes because I was afraid of what I was going to meet in the house. I was supposed to go to Islamia, but I went to church. So as I was coming, I took my time.
By the minute I entered the house, my dad said pastor, welcome. Follow my story.
Then after some time, the church said I will need to do baptism, and they said I need to pick a baptismal name. Then I looked at the story of Saul converted to Paul, so I picked Paul.
Then like two years later, I followed my dad to his friend, who was then the controller general of immigration, Garibabas.
Garibabas is late now. When we got to his house, he said what is your name? I said Wasiu. He said are you God? I was surprised.
I said no sir. He said come on, say Abdul Wasiu. I said Abdul Wasiu.
Because Wasiu is God, Abdul is the servant of God. I am talking about the significance of name.
My parents gave me that name Abdul Wasiu, and I did not know the meaning until I became a Christian.
If I had known the meaning, I would change the name. So because the name defines your destiny, defines your identity, defines your purpose, while I was supposed to go to Islamia, my Father by himself pushed me to church, because there is a destiny that must be fulfilled.
Now if I will ask you, I know many of us have gone through something of such but I just want to remind us, what is your name?
It is possible your name is Joy, but there’s no joy in your life, but before the end of today, God will change the tragedy, and your life will begin to manifest joy, in Jesus name.
In case your name is peace, and there is nothing like peace in your life, today God will change whatever is making peace, not to manifest in your life in the spirit realm, and peace will begin to manifest in your life, in the name of Jesus. I just told us that short story for you to know.
Throughout the scripture, God changed the names of individuals to signify a transformation in their lives. One of the most remarkable stories of a name change is found in Genesis, where we took our Bible reading from Genesis chapter 32, verse 22 to 32, where Jacob wrestled with God and received a new name.
Genesis 32:22 to 30.
“And he rose up that night and took his wives and his women’s servants and he rose up that night and took his wives and his women’s servants and his 11 sons and passed over the fourth chapter, and he took them and sent them over the brook, and sent them, and sent over that he had, and Jacob was left alone and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day”.
Let me speak on this particular phrase: “Jacob was left alone”
If you want to experience a significant change in your life, learn to be alone with God.
I’m not saying corporate prayer is not good, no, but if you must experience significant transformation in your life, learn to be alone. The problem with the church is that we celebrate prophecies, we celebrate miracles, we celebrate healings and deliverance, but we don’t know how to sustain them, and the reason is because we have not learned to be alone.
You got the miracle in the public space, you got the healing in the public space, but you need to be alone to sustain that miracle, that healing, and that deliverance. When I mean be alone, I mean be alone. Not you picking calls while praying.
Don’t be praying and doing other things at the same time,
Jacob was alone. Do you know that he was going to confront a tough battle? He was going to confront his brother that he stole his birthright with food.
Normally one would have advised him to go with prayer warriors. Or said he should gather his wives and his students and do prayer of agreement, but he was left alone.
He was left alone. Ask your neighbor, do you have a prayer altar apart from coming to church? I’m asking you, do you have a prayer altar apart from when you come for power night, Monday fresh fire service, or Sunday service.
He was left alone, and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day, verse 25- “And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint as he wrestled with him”
How I wish I can do a practical of that scenario, the pain that comes from that exercise, it cannot be explained, but because Jacob knew what he wanted, he didn’t mind the pain. He said, I will not let you go except you bless me. I hear many people say, sir, I have prayed, sir.
I prayed. God did not answer,
You have not prayed actually because the evidence that you prayed is your results.
“He took the hollow of his thigh and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint as he wrestled with him. And he said, let me go for the day breaks. And he said, I will not let you go except thou bless me.
And he said unto him, what is thy name? He said, Jacob. And he said, thy name shall no more be called Jacob. Because as long as you remain Jacob, your story cannot change, From today your name will be Israel”.
You need to Pray, let God beautify your life. Because if God did not beautify your life, no one can.
Everyone wants to go to Israel because a man wrestled, As small as the nation of Israel is, it is such a unique place, this is because a man wrestled.
So will you wrestle for generations to come? If you don’t wrestle because of yourself, wrestle for the unborn generation.
Many people want to leave their home country to seek for greener pastures else where, but before you think of leaving, think about the generations to come. No matter how far you go, home is home.
Now, quickly, before we begin to pray, let’s see people that travailed in the place of prayer, another person is Blind Bartimaeus, as mentioned by a man of God earlier, do you know what the similarity between Jacob and Blind Bartimaeus is?, it was perseverance, intentionality. They were deliberate, they were both intentional about a change of story.
Quickly, let’s look at a few persons then we’ll begin to pray, these people wrestled, they persisted in the place of prayer.
First, the widow in Luke 18 verse 1 to 8.
The Bible said, Jesus was telling his disciples a parable.
He said, men ought to pray and not to faint because there was a widow that was troubling a judge that do not know God, do not fear God, did not regard man. The widow kept going and disturbing the man. The Judge will not answer.
The man will tell the security, if you see that woman at my gate, send her away. The woman will come back.
They’ll release the dog. The woman will run away. The next day, the woman will go back.
Then the judge said, “if I will not answer this woman, she will not stop coming, let me answer her”.
And Jesus said, “if I come back, will I meet faith on earth”? And many of us are still trusting God in the place of prayer.
Another person is Hannah in 1 Samuel chapter 1 verse 9 to 20. Hannah was the first wife of the host man, maybe because she was not bringing forth, the man had to bring in Peninah and the Bible said Peninah has sons.
So let’s assume Hannah had been married for 15 to 20 years and the Bible said they had been going to Shiloh and she kept going to Shiloh for let’s assume 15, 20 years.
The Bible said anytime she goes to Shiloh, Peninah will mock her. Hannah will cry and she did not stop going to Shiloh, some persons would have stopped going to Shiloh, but Hannah persisted, She kept going to Shiloh.
What difficult situation are you going through this period and you’re considering to give up, Don’t! Instead persist in the place of prayers,
As you pray today, the Lord shall change your name and your story in Jesus mighty name.
Other people whose names and stories were changed as they encountered Jesus Christ are;
1. Blind Bartimaeus Mark 10:46-52
2. Woman with the issue of blood Mark 5:25-34
Prayers
1. Father please change my name and my story
2. Lord in this aspect of my life( mention that particular area you want God to change), change my story.
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