welcome to today's encouragement from our daily bread I'm a Boucher pie and I called our reading the power of a name
 seeking to affirm some children who live in the streets of Mumbai India Ranjit created a song of their names coming up with a unique Melody for each name he taught them the two hoping to give them a positive memory related to what they're called
 for children who don't regularly hear their name spoken in love he bestowed on them a gift of respect
 names are important in the Bible often reflecting a person's character traits or new role for instance God change the names of Abraham and Sarah eye when he made a Covenant of Love with them promising that he would be their God and they would be his people
 Abram which means exalted father became Abraham which means father of many
 and Sarah which means princess became Sarah which means princess of many
 God's new names included the gracious promise that they would no longer be childless when Sarah gave birth to their son they were overjoyed and named him Isaac which means he laughs and Genesis 21-6 Sarah said God has brought me laughter and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me
 we show honor and respect to people when we call them by name and a firm who God has created them to be a loving nickname that a firm someone's unique qualities as one created in the image of God can do the same
 today the passage of scripture is from Genesis chapter 17 verses 1 through 8 and 15 through 16
 when Abraham was 99 years old the Lord appeared to him and said I am God Almighty walk before me faithfully and be blameless then I will make my Covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers
 Abraham's fell face-down and God said to him ask for me this is my Covenant with you you will be the father of many nations no longer will you be called a bro 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 gods and the god of your descendants after you
 the whole land of Canaan were 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
 picking up at verse 15 God also said to Abraham ask for Sarah your wife you are no longer to call her Sarah her name will be Sarah I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her I will bless her so that she will be the mother of Nations Kings of people's will come from her
let's pray together God of all names you made us in your image and you love us shape us and mold us to be more like you reflecting your glory and your honor we thank you and we praise you when we pray in the name of Jesus Amen
 thank you so much for listening today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries