A New Name

I heard Jeannie Banter's talk at the WGM Student Center at Asbury online the other day (which you can also listen to here: http://www.asburywgm.org/Audio/08-09/Banter_56K.mp3 ). And it really gave me much to pray about for Uganda! Her first point is that they are praying for Arua to have a new name. Arua means "prisoner" and they long for the people of Arua to no longer be prisoners but for them to be called Children of God! And today as I was reading in Jeremiah he also talks about God's people getting a new name:

"Then it shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise and an honor before all nations of the earth, who shall hear all the good that I do to them; they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and all the prosperity that I provide for it. Thus says the Lord, Again there shall be heard in this place- of which you say, 'It is desolate, without man and without beast'- in the cities of Judah, in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without beast, the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice oft he bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who will say, "Praise the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good, for His mercy endures forever!" and of those who will bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord. For I will cause the captives of the land to return as at the first' says the Lord." -Jeremiah 33:9-11

God longs for the people of Uganda- the people of Arua- to receive new names. For their identity to be joy instead of sorrow. For them to claim freedom instead of captivity! Oh that you would join me in prayer for God's name and His glory to shine in the darkness of Africa!