A Devotional Invitation to Worship.

If you have kids, I’m sure you’ve observed this phenomenon. As our kids grew up, Pam and I saw it dozens of times—though for the sake of family harmony, I’ll change the names so no one gets singled out (they know who they are).

Let’s say…

“Brian, time for dinner.”
Suddenly he’s at the table in 10 seconds flat, waiting for the pizza to come out of the oven like a dog who’s just heard the treat jar being opened.

“Courtney, we’re leaving for the pool.”
She’s already in the car. Swimsuit on, towel in hand, sunscreen applied, water bottle filled. Olympic-level prep speed.

But…

“Brian, it’s Monday night. Time to take out the trash.”
“Courtney, your turn to clean the kitchen tonight.”
“Kids, I need you to help rake leaves and pull weeds.”

(crickets)

All families face it. No one’s exempt. What’s going on? Selective hearing. Or more accurately, selective obedience. Our kids gravitate toward what they enjoy and conveniently ignore the rest. (Some adults do, too—if we’re honest.)

But here’s the interesting thing: after high school, everything changed. As each of our kids ventured into the real world—with college deadlines and job expectations—they came back a little different. Their hearing improved—dramatically. They participated more in family life, offered help without being asked, and rarely needed to be reminded about chores and responsibilities.

What changed? Maturity.

The same principle holds true in our spiritual lives.

It’s easy to practice selective obedience when it comes to following God. We love the parts of Scripture that comfort us, inspire us, or come naturally. But the verses that challenge or convict us? The commands that stretch us beyond our comfort zone? Sometimes those get lost in the shuffle. Not outright rejected—just “accidentally” overlooked or conveniently ignored.

Over the past seven weeks at Bethany, we’ve been walking through a series called Worshipping Through the Psalms. It’s been a rich journey—encouraging, challenging, and deeply formative. The Psalms were the worship book of ancient Israel. They didn’t just describe worship; they prescribed it. And what stands out as you read them is this: worship isn’t just a suggestion—it’s a command.

Here are some of the imperatives embedded in Israel’s worship manual:

• Praise! (הללו – hallelu) – Psalm 150

• Sing! (שירו – shiru) – Psalm 96

• Shout for joy! (רננו – rannenu) – Psalm 33

• Give thanks! (הודו – hodu) – Psalm 107

• Come! (בואו – bo’u) – Psalm 95

• Serve! (עבדו – ivdu) – Psalm 100

• Bow down! (שחחו – shichachu) – Psalm 95

• Make music! (זמרו – zammeru) – Psalm 47

• Rejoice! (רונו – ronnu) – Psalm 68

• Make a joyful noise! (הריעו – hariu) – Psalm 100

• Lift up your hands! (נשאו – nasu) – Psalm 134

• Remember! (זכרו – zichru) – Psalm 105

• Kneel! (כרעו – kir’u) – Psalm 95

• Meditate! (שיחו – sichu) – Psalm 77

• Trust! (בטחו – bitchu) – Psalm 4

• Fear the Lord! (יראו – yir’u) – Psalm 33

That’s not a poetic suggestion list. It’s a call to action. A Divine summons to participate with heart, mind, body, and voice in the worship of our Creator.

Which brings us to tonight.

This evening—Wednesday, June 18 at 7 PM—we’ll be gathering for our one-hour Night of Worship. As we prepare to close out our series, our pastoral team felt it was important not just to preach about worship—but to practice it.

Our worship team has worked diligently to prepare songs that are accessible, celebrative, and full of hope. Everything is ready. But the most important preparation is the one happening in your heart.

Let’s not be selective in our obedience. If God says, “Sing,” let’s sing. If He says, “Give thanks,” let’s give thanks. If He says, “Come,” let’s show up.

We may not be able to express every form of worship mentioned in the Psalms tonight (I doubt we’ll be blowing any ram’s horns), but we can bring a heart that says, “Yes, Lord.”

Not “if I feel like it.”
Not “when it’s convenient.”
Just a simple, mature yes.

Join us tonight as we move from learning about worship… to actually worshiping.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord. (Psalm 150:6)