Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come before His presence with singing! Know (perceive, recognize, and understand with approval) that the Lord is God! It is He Who has made us, not we ourselves [and we are His]! We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

~ Psalm 100:1-3 AMPC

My daughters, both at a young age, wanted Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. Then, to declare it to the world, both wanted to be baptized. They have continued to love the Lord, as well as turn our house into an almost constant musical, singing praises to Jesus, along with some silly songs. Given all that, it surprised me when my eleven-year-old asked, “Do I have to sing in church?” I know that I rambled on about how she sings all the time, including during school chapel and Middle School Youth Group. But I paused and asked why she didn’t want to sing during church worship. She said the songs were boring. I finally conceded that she didn’t have to sing at church.

When service began and the worship team was singing, it occurred to me that I was once eleven years old, too. Though my life and experiences at eleven were quite different from my daughter’s, I remember thinking that the worship songs dragged on forever, (that was when we had hymnals and the songs had 6+ verses!). I whispered in her ear:

Worship is a response to what God has done in your life. I pray that the Lord would reveal Himself to you, in a way that would cause you to desire to give Him all your praise and worship. Lord, I pray that my daughter will experience Your goodness and Your faithfulness in a real and tangible way. Lord, help her to feel Your presence and desire more of You. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Perhaps you wake up or go to church with the same mentality: I’ll go, but do I have to sing? Worship of any sort is a response to God’s love. Worshiping and serving come after you’ve experienced the fullness of His love, not before. If you’re feeling dry, weary, and worn down, perhaps it’s been a while since you praised the Lord. Maybe it’s been too long since you’ve thanked Him for what He’s done in your life. It’s probably time to remember and recount His faithfulness, both in your life, as well as the many times in the Bible.

I pray that you, like my daughter, will fall in love with the Lord. I pray you’ll experience His love, mercy, and faithfulness in a real and tangible way this week. I hope you’ll recount His goodness and faithfulness and as you praise His Name, that you’ll enter into His courts, sit at His feet, and never want to leave.

Lord, I also pray for those who work with and minster to our middle school children. Cover over their lives, bless them, and protect them from the evil one. Fill them up with Your Spirit, peace, love, and joy. Let their words be Your words. Help them to speak Truth in love and love in truth. Give them supernatural wisdom and the courage to help guide these young and inquisitive minds. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; ~ 1 Chronicles 16:25 NKJV

*Written with her full permission