My name at Birth was Shawna Michelle Traver. I have been on my job for 17 years and everyone there refers to me by my nickname “Shay”. So, when people hear that name they know it’s me after all these years, & the reputation I have built up over the years gives them confidence in my work ethics. The saying “your name precedes you” comes to mind about this. Today My legal name is Mrs. Shawna Michelle Sheffield or as our oldest son so respectfully calls me in his best old school way, Mrs. Marvin Eron Sheffield Sr. Back in the day when women married they took on their husband’s whole name, not just his last name. They became Mrs. John Smith. Not Mrs. Mary Smith. Etc. Taking on his name gave her authority “in his name” and right to access everything he owned. Same as today in a marriage. Our oldest son, Christopher, does the same with my name showing respect to my husband by referring to me as Mrs. Marvin Sheffield rather than Mrs. Shawna Sheffield, but late in the night on December 19th, 2011 (which happened to be my birth day), God woke me up and his voice began to ring in my mind and my soul in a deep conversation with me. A conversation that was about me. During this conversation God showed me things from my past, present and thing from my future. During this conversation God showed me Jacob as he wrestled with the Angel of the Lord as recorded in Genesis 32:24-31, and how when he walked away from that encounter not only was his walk forever altered in that the Angel of the Lord physically touched the cleft of his hip joint and created a limp for the rest of his life, but God changed his name from Jacob to Israel. He was standing in that amazing moment where God touched him and changed his walk and his name. In changing his name and his walk during this encounter God gave him the confidence and strength he needed to walk as a new man. During this encounter of wrestling with the Angel, right after Jacobs name was recorded as no longer being Jacob but Israel, Jacob asked the angel of the Lord his name. I believe this was put in the word of God to show the importance of the name. The angel of the Lord did not acknowledge his own name but in that moment blessed Jacob instead. During this conversation with God back in 2011 God changed me. I wrestled with God and spoke with Him and cried about some things he brought to memory. I asked questions about others but when it came to the end of this conversation and Him showing me Jacob it hit me that He was changing me during this process. I instinctively knew that my walk would be different after this conversation. It hit my mind and I said to the Lord, Ok Lord, I understand you are trying to change me but what is my name. If I am to be different then what is my name. As I felt the presence of the Lord lifting off of me when I spoke this I heard his voice say. You are new, now arise warrior for you are My Sister Soldier. Fight in the spirit as I have called you to do. Reach the lost, win souls, pray and seek me like never before. I felt different after this conversation. I knew my name was different in heaven. Or at least in my mind had a foot note beside my name in the Lamb’s book of life that said, “Sister Soldier”. I knew God had changed me. And with this new name, just as when you get adopted or married, new authority came with this name he had given me. It was at that moment that God began to birth thoughts and a business plan for the ministry that is now known as ~*Sister Soldier*~ Ministries and also Freedom Ministry Outreach Church. He laid out in my mind the business plan for each and for so much more. I knew that My walk had just been changed and taken to a higher level of anointing and authority but also responsibility and dedication. That was my part in this. I knew I had to be all in. There was no turning back now. With this name God had given me, I was a new woman and I was all His. All the power of the Holy Ghost He had given me and all the knowledge he would impart and impute into my mind was hinged on my willingness to give him all of me under this new name and new authority. If I was an adopted child and I was given the name of my adoptive parents who were millionaires and all the authority and rights to everything associated with being a child of my adoptive parents yet, I refused to live under that new name and continued to hold the name of my birth parents who were not millionaires, and walk in poverty or at a lower level than I was called, adopted and named to walk in I would be making a choice to walk in that, and in doing so lose out on all that came with that new name. My name was still new, my authority and rights were still there but I would have to choose to walk in it. Just like if I got married but never changed my name. I would be associated with the reputation and authority under my old name, never taking on the authority and rights as the wife of Mr. Marvin Sheffield. Just like in Acts 2:38 we are commanded to be baptized in THE NAME of Jesus Christ for the remission of our sins. We are buried under the water in HIS NAME and born again into HIS NAME. When we come up out of that water we are HIS. We are branded in his NAME and our names are written in the Lambs book of life as being His Own. That precious name of Jesus is applied to our lives at that moment and we are adopted as His. We are no longer our own but bought by a price in HIS NAME. There is power in that name and as adopted children of our Lord Jesus we can now walk in the authority of that name and in the power of the Holy Ghost which is His Spirit living in us. We must make a choice to walk in the name. We are baptized in Jesus Name. We pray in Jesus Name. He lay hands on the sick In Jesus Name. We live and breathe and move and grow in HIM, thru the power of His name and in the power of HIS spirit in us. That authority of being adopted (the bible says grafted in) allows us to walk in His Name. If I tried to cast out a demon in my own name, all of hell would laugh at me because I have no legal authority to do that. However, if I as a blood bought, born again, water baptized in Jesus name, Holy Ghost filled child of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ command demons to flee in the name of Jesus, they have no choice because HE HAS ALL POWER. His name is above every name and holds all power and authority, and when we surrender to His will and become His child thru repentance, baptism in His name (Jesus) and being filled with his Spirit as commanded in Acts 2:38, we now have His power and authority in us. The Bible says in Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. How are we witness unto Him? By doing all we do In HIS NAME. So, I ask you today… Has God given you a name? Have you surrendered to his will for your life and taken on HIS NAME? Have you been adopted / grafted into the lineage of Jesus Christ through repentance, baptism in Jesus name and being filled with His Spirit with evidence of speaking in other tongues as stated in the scriptures? Have you had an encounter with Jesus that you walked away from with a new walk and a new name? If you have, that is amazing! Continue to walk with Him and reach for His will for your life. This is a new and exciting journey you are on with Jesus. If you have not, then I would ask you to seek his face and call on his name now more than ever. For his name is the only saving name. His name is the name above every name. Let him have your heart and let him change your name. Walk with Him and grown with Him. Recognize the power in His Name. That wonderful name Jesus.