‘Worship with the Word’ is an interactive way of going deep in Gods Word by singing His Word back to Him.

A model that can be used to worship with the Word is the Harp & Bowl model which was developed in IHOP Kansas City. This model gives structure to a time of worship with the Bible.

In this model 1 worship leader, 1 prayer leader and 2 or more singers and musicians alternate worship songs with the antiphonal singing of the Word in different cycles. The power of this model is that it gives an opportunity to sing and pray in unity because the choruses are created to sing together.

Harp & Bowl Model

Now when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. (Revelations 5:8)

The format is based on this heavenly picture that we see in Revelation 5, which speaks of the harp and the bowl — worship and prayer:

• The harp speaks of worshiping God with music and antiphonal singing
• The bowl speaks of the prayers of the saints

David has something like this in his tabernacle with 188 singers, 4000 musicians in 24 groups.

Here we explain what is the structure of a Worship with the Word set and we explain from a biblical perspective why it is such an powerful model.

Structure of a Worship with the Word set

Every set of 2 hours consists of different cycles who all consists out of three parts:

A) Worship with worship songs – The aim of this time is that everybody can join in worship. Together we sing songs about God, about His character and what He has done, because we want to focus our thoughts on Him.

B) Spontaneous singing – from the Bible or in the Spirit (1 Cor. 14:15, Col. 3:16) (ca. 5 min). The aim of this part that everybody can express his heart to God. That can be done in different ways: by singing in tongues, by singing your own words to God. When you get used to spontaneous singing you will experience more freedom in expressing your heart to God.

C) Antiphonal singing of a bible verse –  in this part we sing a bible verse and give the Holy Spirit room to explain this verse to us. In this way the Holy Spirit receives room to teach us new things, because we together sing what comes in our minds. The singing makes that the words not only go in our mind, but also in our hearts. This sequence is always maintained:

• A bible verse is spoken out loud.
• This verse is repeated by some one who sings it out
• A part of the verse, often a sentence, is isolated and repeated.
• The theme of this sentence is sing out in antiphonal singing. The singers sing short sentences that fit with the theme.
• The worship leader or chorus leader creates short spontaneous choruses who are repeated 8-12 times by everyone.

Biblical keys of the Harp & Bowl model

The Harp & Bowl model is a powerful combination of worship with music and praying/singing from Gods Word. The model helps us to receive an interaction between worship and prayer.

These are some bible verses explaining key elements of the Harp & Bowl model:

Prayer according to Gods will

Joh 14:13 -14 ‘Whatever you will ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you will ask anything in my name, I will do it.’

Of the words in the Bible we can say that is Gods will. His Word will not return void but will have effect. That’s why we sing and pray from the Bible.

Jes 55:9 -11 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain comes down and the snow from the sky, and doesn’t return there, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, and gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater; 11 so shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Agreeing

Mat 18:19 Again, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven.

If we agree on a matter when have to say/pray/sing something where we all agree on, which happens when we sing from the Bible.

Music impacts our spirit and emotions

Elisha had to hear the Word of God, so he asked for a harp player! In 2 Kings 3:15 says:
But now bring me a minstrel. It happened, when the minstrel played, that the hand of Yahweh came on him.

That is what we want! There is a good way to use music! David played for Saul and Saul quieted down.

On earth as in heaven

We read in the Bible that Moses made ​​the tabernacle according to what God had shown him (Ex 25:8-9) and that is what David also did (1 Chron. 28:19). According to Hebrews 8:5 the tabernacle was a copy and a shadow of what is in heaven:

Hebrews 8:5 : ‘The work they do as priests is really only a copy and a shadow of what is in heaven. It is the same as it was with Moses. When he was about to build the Sacred Tent, God told him, “Be sure to make everything according to the pattern you were shown on the mountain.

God desires worship on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus also says: “Let Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”.

The interaction between Worship and Prayer

In Revelation 5 it says that the four living creatures and the 24 elders had harps and bowls. John explains that the bowls are the prayers of the saints. The harps represent music (worship). Before the throne of God there is always prayer and worship.

Now when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. (Revelations 5:8)