This is something that I feel may have been lost in some churches. The songs are played in more of a concert fashion, an offering is taken, a message is given, and everyone leaves in a rush to be first in line at the buffet. Everyone has sort of become a robot instead of true worshipers! We have invested so much time in making schedules, practices, and orders of services that we overlook the most important person in the room. The Holy Spirit! In order to properly move in the Spirit, we have to be in tune with the Spirit! This means prayer, fasting, preparation, alone time, worship, reading the Bible, etc etc. are all fundamental in moving in the Spirit.
My absolute favorite time to play worship music is during our prayer services. We show up prayed up, and sit (or stand) behind our instruments and worship. No schedule. No agenda. A skeleton songlist. It is the most intimate worship time when everyone comes together and just worships behind their instrument and whatever happens happens!!
If you’re not familiar with Worshipmob (www.youtube.com/worshipmob), do yourself a huge favor and check them out! Their worship videos exemplify moving in the Spirit, and remind me of something i haven’t heard in quite a while – harp and bowl worship, found in Revelation 5:8, ‘And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.’
Harp and Bowl. It sounds silly. This is a worship style where music is played and there is an assortment of spoken word worship, melodic songs, scriptures read, and many other forms of heartfelt worship. It does take a little practice to get used to the concept, and it’s even a good idea to schedule a ‘harp-and-bowl’ night with only the worship team. It will take you to the next level in your worship and will definitely help you learn to play more closely as a team.
I remember growing up, my church would often have these ‘harp and bowl’ practices. At the moment in my teenage years, I didn’t fully grasp the gravity of what was taking place. Now looking back, I see that those nights were instrumental in teaching me to properly move in the Spirit, how to read other band members, and how to worship in my own way and not rely on songs that other people written. So I encourage you, take some time with your worship team and do some ‘freestyle’ worship. You never know what will happen! New songs can be written, new visions can be released, and skills will definitely be improved in the process of genuine worship!
A good example of Harp and Bowl worship is the International House of Prayer. They livestream 24 hour worship and prayer through the harp and bowl method. For the longest time I didn’t understand how you could make 3 songs last 2 hours.