Names meant so much more in Bible times than they do today. They often described something about a person’s character, identity or even destiny. You immediately knew who you were dealing with, how convenient would THAT be? Imagine knowing immediately whether you were dealing with a “deceiver” like Jacob or “the rock” like Peter.
I shared a little about this in our FREE Genesis Bible study (download it here), but in Genesis 17 we read that God gave Abram and Sarai new names. He was changing things in their lives and their new names declared something about what He was about to do; almost speaking into existence the promise before they could actually see it.
But for Sarai, I feel it meant even more.
She was a barren woman who probably had poor self-image because of a culture where so much of a woman’s worth was tied to her ability to have children. She was old and, biologically speaking, there was no reasonable expectation that she would ever conceive. God’s promise must have sounded almost ridiculous. But God (Oh how I love those two little words) changed her name to Sarah (which means princess). Think about it: every time anyone said her new name, she heard something different about herself. They were calling her beautiful and valuable, a king’s daughter! Every time someone called her Sarah, they were speaking to the woman God designed her to be. Did hearing that name over and over begin to change the way she saw herself? Did it strengthen her faith before anything in her circumstances had actually changed? I don’t know but it made me wonder: could changing the story we continually tell ourselves actually help change us?
FAITH… BUT ALSO SCIENCE
I’ve written about the power of speaking life before, and interestingly, there is science behind the idea that repeated thoughts can influence the way our brains process information. Positive thought patterns don’t mean denying reality, but research does suggest that the way we talk to ourselves can influence our outlook, stress and how we respond to what’s happening around us. Neuroplasticity is essentially the brain’s ability to adapt and form new connections through repeated thoughts, experiences and behaviours.
In other words, what we continually focus on matters. If our internal dialogue is constantly about fear, loss and defeat (I can’t do this. Nothing ever works for me. I’m not enough. Something bad is going to happen…) it shouldn’t really surprise us when our minds become very good at finding evidence to support that story. Alternatively, when we intentionally focus on possibility, hope and solutions, we become more likely to notice opportunities and different ways forward.
It reminds me of playing “punch buggy” as a kid. You never noticed Volkswagen Beetles until someone told you to look for them and suddenly THEY WERE EVERYWHERE.
Our brains notice what we train them to notice. And over time, repeated patterns of thinking can become habits. This is why elite athletes visualize success. Their brains become conditioned to expect it.
This is part of the thinking behind practices like visualization and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: our thoughts affect how we feel and behave, and changing the way we think can help change the way we respond and ultimately to different outcomes. In short, “speaking life” works not because words magically alter reality, but because our brains were designed by God to learn through repetition, attention and experience.
My husband disagrees. He feels that speaking life is basically lying to yourself. And I say: “heck yeah”! Okay, hear me out.
So much of our negative self-talk isn’t fact either; It’s fear! It’s a worst-case scenario we’ve repeated so many times that we’ve started treating it as truth. So why are we so willing to believe those “lies,” but uncomfortable intentionally replacing them with thoughts rooted in hope, possibility and what God actually says about us?
I’m not talking about pretending everything is wonderful when it isn’t. And I’m definitely not talking about declaring that God owes us a particular outcome because we said the right words enough times. Faith isn’t manifestation but it IS believing in what we cannot yet see.
Sometimes maybe we have to repeat a different story before our feelings catch up. We have to remind ourselves who God is, what He says about us and what we know to be true instead of allowing fear to write the narrative.
For me, expectant faith is aligning my thoughts, feelings and actions with the belief that God is moving even when I can’t see exactly how. It’s standing on Isaiah 30:18 and believing that God longs to be gracious to us and those who wait expectantly for Him. When we visualize God intervening, we’re not dictating the outcome, we’re practicing trust and choosing expectation over gloom... In short, it’s training our mind to look for His goodness instead of automatically anticipating worst-case scenarios.
And maybe that’s the point. My own name means strength. Funny enough, I don’t really want to be known for being strong anymore. I’ve been STRONG. In this season, I want to be blessed. I want my life to reflect God’s goodness. Like Joseph, I want people to be able to look at my life and somehow recognize that God is with me.
And maybe you’ve been answering to a name too. Failure. Old. Rejected. Not enough. Unqualified. Unwanted. Those words may feel true because you’ve repeated them for years. Maybe somebody else gave them to you. Maybe life did but I can assure you that they are not from God. It’s not who He says you are! He calls you chosen. Loved. Forgiven. Redeemed. His. So perhaps the question isn’t only, “What’s in a name?” but what name have I been answering to that God never gave me?
REMINDER…
In the same way that names carried meaning in the Bible, there is incredible power in the name of Jesus. His name literally means “God saves,” and it declares who He is and what He came to do.
And it’s more than salvation (Matthew 1:21). Throughout Scripture (and history), we see the name of Jesus associated with healing, deliverance, courage, and peace but the power of His name isn’t only for extraordinary moments. Colossians 3:17 reminds us that whatever we do, in word or action, should be done in the name of Jesus.
When we call on His name, we are not relying on our own strength. We are placing our faith in His and standing on His authority.
We’re to live, speak, and act in a way that honours His name. Every act of love, faith, obedience, and witness reflects Christ in our lives. And perhaps that is the ultimate example of why names matter. Through Him, we can live with confidence, knowing that His name is above every name and His power is still at work in the world today.
