Ten Reasons that I Use the Harp & Bowl Model
- Jun 11, 2015
- 6 min read
The Harp and Bowl Model is a structure for times of group worship and prayer that is based upon descriptions of heaven and Davidic Worship. The latter is a reference to the Levitical order that King David established, first in his own tabernacle and then fully in Solomon’s Temple, where unceasing worship and prayer became central to God’s covenant with David, while also producing and preserving many of the Psalms. The “harp” and “bowl” are scriptural references to the worship in God’s throne room that are pictured as music played by angelic beings on harps and the prayers of the saints that are kept and offered before God’s throne in a golden bowl. However, the model itself is broader than these two references and is based upon many instances of biblical forms of worship. But because it is based largely upon the “scenes” of heaven found in the Bible, it may be one of the most genuine attempts at actually bringing the worship of heaven to the earth. Because of this, I believe that it is a model that should be employed by most Christian communities, even though it is not appropriate or helpful for use in all contexts.
It is important to understand this conviction in light of God’s whole plan in salvation history. The Scriptures are very clear that there will be a massive prayer and worship movement that will cover the earth before Jesus returns to the earth. It is also clear that worship and prayer will be the ongoing means through which the church partners with God in ruling on the earth with Jesus for all eternity. Both of these truths speak to the facts that prayer and worship are (1) not about performance, but about ministering to God, and (2) should be intentionally practiced in the church with the goal of creating ongoing ministries of worship and prayer that never cease. This will require the vast majority of Christians today to change the way they view prayer and worship, which will necessarily change how they practice prayer and worship. This, of course, is merely an introduction to a topic that requires far more space than is available in this article.
I will not be covering the specific mechanics of the model in this article. For that information, please request The Harp and Bowl Manual from myself or LivingStone House of Prayer (LHOPVA.org). So without further ado, here are the ten reasons that I use the Harp and Bowl Model at home and in corporate worship times.
1. It’s Enjoyable The Harp and Bowl model is just a lot of fun. I can’t count the number of times I have debriefed with a worship team who, after spending two hours singing from the Scriptures, are filled with joy and excitement about the revelation that God had given them together. Harp and Bowl brings us together, makes it difficult for people with massive egos to take over our meetings, and combines the music we love, with the Scriptures we need, with the God we adore, and the people we enjoy.
2. It’s God Focused Too often prayer or worship meetings that involve any level of spontaneity devolve into the congregation, and often the worship/prayer team, staring at the person leading the meeting (the worship leader, prayer leader, or the most outgoing person who happens to be in the room), and becoming mostly or entirely unengaged. Yet, Harp and Bowl provides communication tools and expectations that allow everyone in the room to engage fully, whether in times of spontaneity or structure. I’ve often been in prayer or worship meetings where only two or three people are really engaged, leaving everyone else bored and confused, or timid and fearful of doing something wrong because they are unsure of what is happening. When I am leading worship and prayer with Harp and Bowl, I regularly see the entire room fully engaged with God–not man. And this is rare among prayer and worship meetings.
3. It’s Spontaneous Harp and Bowl allows singers, musicians, and prayer leaders to respond to the Spirit by providing time and tools for spontaneous expression. We want to receive revelation corporately, as a single body, so we sing, play, and pray together in a spontaneous manner in order to facilitate a deeper understanding of, and response to, God.
4. It’s Structured The spontaneity happens within the context of structure. At times, the Spirit will lead us completely out of this structure, but this is the exception rather than the rule, because our structure and specific focuses are designed through scriptural precedents, prayer, and the Lord's leadership prior to our times of worship and prayer.
5. It’s Sustainable Given the Scripture’s teachings that Jesus will return in the midst of a massive worship and prayer movement and that unceasing worship and prayer will remain central aspects of the church after his return, I am just as concerned with the prayer and worship meetings taking place one week from now, as I am with the meeting taking place twenty years from now. As one body, the church is called to host spaces of unceasing worship and prayer that will never end. Therefore, it makes sense to use a biblical model that helps our prayer meetings remain sustainable. In seven years, I have seen a huge number of weekly worship nights, small group prayer meetings, and other forms of regular times of corporate worship or prayer simply fizzle out, because as soon as people became bored, or lost vision for the purpose of the meeting, they stopped showing up. Doesn’t it make sense to provide a model that provides people with enough structure and spontaneity to help them sustain their zeal, even when it’s hard to remain faithful?
6. It’s Scriptural At the heart of Harp and Bowl is a focus on the Scriptures. It has been the ancient conviction of the church that public declaration and meditation on the Scriptures release power and revelation to God’s people. Too many prayer and worship meetings are devoid of the Scriptures–the most spiritually potent words that exist–which often leads to meetings that are devoid of God’s power, revelation, or truth.
7. It Combines Worship and Prayer There are many biblical examples of worship creating environments where God’s presence and power are released in more tangible and profound ways. One of the most important aspects of Harp and Bowl is that, with worship in spirit and truth, we create a spiritual environment that is simply rippling with the glory of God, which we then exploit (in a good way) by lifting up our prayers in that atmosphere which endows them with the power and authority of heaven itself.
8. It’s a Singing Seminary Singing the Scriptures are a major aspect of Harp and Bowl. Singing about anything takes whatever subject you are focusing on, and allows your thoughts, words, and ideas about that subject to transcend your analytical and mental faculties, and enter the emotive and spiritual aspects of your soul. When you sing the Scriptures, you do not merely receive information, you receive an abiding conviction that takes the truth and power of those Spirit-inspired words and injects them into your spirit.
9. Anyone Can Do It Let’s be honest. Not everyone has the ability to stand in front of a room full of people and just start praying or singing as the Spirit leads them. This takes a lot of courage, public speaking skills, and in the case of singing, the ability to be able to sing spontaneously without a preset melody. However, the Harp and Bowl model makes it far easier for people to leap out in Spirit-led prayers and songs. I have seen people who started out fearful, shy, and lacking certain levels of talent who, after ministering in the context of the Harp and Bowl model, are now confident in their gifts and can minister spontaneously or with structure in public settings without any trouble at all.
10. It Incorporates Ancient Forms of Worship If you have ever experienced forms of worship that reflect ancient traditions of the church (Roman Catholic, Anglican, Greek Orthodox, etc.), you will find that there is a tremendous amount of singing, Scripture, and prayer. Additionally, these aspects of the service are interwoven together, and incorporate responsive singing and praying, to a greater or lesser extent depending upon the specific church and tradition. This is exactly what the Harp and Bowl model does, meaning that the model is, in many ways, a modern take on ancient and widespread forms of worship and prayer–a type of “ancient/future” worship, to borrow a term.
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