1 Chronicle 4:9-10 (NLT2)
There was a man named Jabez who was more honourable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful.
He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request.

Everybody knows the prayer of Jabez, one of the most popular prayers in the bible, we all want to be blessed but imagine bearing a name that reminds you of your unfortunate start in life. We would like someone, especially our mothers bless us but what do you do when your mother places a “curse” on you. We quote and pray this scripture, but have we ever taken the time to see beyond this prayer? What is so important about Jabez that the Lord interrupted the genealogies to take two verses to speak of him?
Jabez’s problem started when he was named. In the realm of the spirit, your name has a direct link to your destiny. The name you bear can be a blessing or a curse to you. God is extremely interested in names, He was always particular about the names of His children because He knows that you become what you are called.
The mother named her child based on her experiences, she named him Jabez, saying, because she bore him with sorrow’ why? To remind herself of a sad season, a bad pregnancy, an unhappy marriage, we’ll never know but thank God Jabez had the foresight to cry out to God for a change, who knows maybe after years of bullying, misfortune and ridicule, through prayer Jabez managed to overcome the limitations inherent in his name.
What is in your name? is it a blessing or a reminder of an unfortunate incident? Have you wondered what your names are doing for or against you? A while back, I took stock of my names and was thankful to my parents for naming us all prophetically. As bad as life gets, you do not want your names speaking daily against you each time it’s called out. Sincere prayer is always effective, difficult circumstances notwithstanding.
Something is always labouring against us, your actual given names or those given you by others, those not so nice names.
Ichabod: “The glory has departed from Israel was the fate of this newborn child who would have no parents, no grandfather and not even God, because the glory of God had departed from the place. This the name, Phinehas’ wife called her child as she lay dying from labour. 1 Samuel 4:18-22.
Naomi –beautiful, Mara– bitter Ruth 1:20. After her husband and sons died, Naomi attempted to change her name to Mara, or bitterness, to reflect her hard circumstances. Neither history nor her daughter-in-law Ruth indulged her, and before long, God again blessed her with a family.
You can change your name if the one you have does not suit you, the Lord did that with His people about the destiny He had planned for them:
Abram became Abraham. Genesis 17:5.
Sarai became Sarah. Genesis 17:15.
Jacob became Israel. Genesis 32:28.
Solomon became Jedidiah. 2 Samuel 12:25.
Saul became Paul. Acts 13:9.
Finally, there is a name change for all believers: God says, “To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it” Revelation 2:17. When we reach heaven, God will change our names. It will represent our own changed identity as we transition from sinful to holy. I am blessed because my name says so and God’s word confirms it.
Shalom