A name is a word or set of words by which a person or thing is known, addressed, or referred to. Sometimes it describes what the person believes, an experience, an incident, a place or event of interest, an aspiration, or an expectation. Then, other times it could be deeper when it comes through a revelation, prophecy, as a direct instruction from the Almighty. Parents are used to naming their children by circumstances of birth or their experiences around that time. Names can affect, remind, direct, motivate, or even serve as an instrument of covenant.
I was told the story behind my name “Gabriel” by my maternal grandmother Lady Diana Mboma. Luckily she was a godly and very spiritual woman. She was from Amaegbu – Nkwerre in Imo State and lived almost a hundred years. Among her children and grandchildren, she likes discussing spiritual matters with me because she believes I am spiritually inclined. She told me that God gave me the name through prophecy while I was still in the womb. My mother was told that she would conceive a baby boy and a great messenger of God and that he would be called Gabriel; that he would impact the world for Christ. And so many other instructions came with that which included not shaving my head for the first three years and so on. Sure, her prayers, stories, and advice helped me to rediscover myself and my destiny. It was her that told me that my maternal great-grandmother was a very powerful seer and that she would always say that there was no how a bird would fly over that you would not see the underbelly. Meaning that there is nothing hidden under the sun, except the one that God doesn’t want to reveal.
Wow! I am blessed to have come from this lineage, a generational string of godly men and women of God. I am the fourth generation and the grace is continuing. I am already seeing the sign in my kids. This must be a very powerful generational covenant! One of the things that makes Israel, the Jewish religion, and race strong is the oral tradition. They will always pass information to the next generation and also remember that God would always instruct them to tell their children and coming generations the testimonies and the stories behind their deliverances, covenants, and dealings with Him. It is a great way to transfer faith, covenants, loyalty, and grace.
Please, I don’t want to bother you much with the rest of the story and events, but even when my mother passed on very early and the documented records were lost, the divine prophecy, the calling, and the name refused to go away. Even when the messenger dies, God’s message will not. It remains and will always speak and perform at the appointed time.
What are the words, events, and aspirations behind your name? God’s word upon you will surely come to pass! Yes, that prophecy was from God. I simply couldn’t run away from it. It was divine. And my name continues to remind me of my assignment, my source, and the covenants behind my mission. It helps me to remain focused, consecrated, and empowered. When names are spiritual and divine, they carry grace, favor, anointing, and authority. They invoke covenants and power. They invoke identities, visions, and missions. Every time I hear or use my name I remember why I am here. It helps to remind me of my mission. It’s like a ‘mission tag’. I must bear his mark. I must run with the message of Him that sent me. I must work for the kingdom, for God, and for humanity no matter the situation. I must selflessly and dutifully take the message of Jesus Christ to the world. That is why I came. I have no choice. I am Gabriel! That great angel will always say, “I am Gabriel. He who stands in the presence of God…I was sent to give you this message” He brought that message that changed the world to Mary and Joseph, Zechariah and Elizabeth, and was also actively involved in that one-of-a-kind, monumental deliverance and spiritual battle that revealed so much to us in the book of Daniel. But this piece is not about me. I just briefly stated the above to show you that I understand a little about a name and the impact it can make on its bearer, mission, and or environment. Now, let’s move on.
There are people to whom God gave names from birth and also others to whom he changed theirs midway. Why? What is in a name that he should be so mindful of it? Look at Abraham. God changed his name from Abram to Abraham at ninety-nine years, when it was time to actualize his covenant of having a promised son and raising a great nation that would bless the whole world. This promise must come from an already dead womb, lost hope, and dashed expectations, and so must first trigger positional belief and identification realignment. It was like drawing out the living from the dead. The Almighty had a generational divine plan for him. Listen, “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, ‘I am God Almighty. Walk before me and be blameless. I will establish my covenant between me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly.’ Then Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, ‘As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. And to you and your descendants, I will give the land where you are residing—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession; and I will be their God.” Genesis 17:1-8. My God!
