When you have thrown the wrong things out and have found the right center within, you will find peace. Peace is merely the sign of the perfect harmonizing of the outer with the inner, the sign that the door is wide open within you for the strong outflowing of power… Prayer does not create miracles, but the peace and poise which prayer produces creates the miracles. – from The Thought Farthest Out, by Glenn Clark
To attain world peace we must love and work to attain in our own souls the inner spirit of peace. Before we can attain harmony of nations we must attain harmony of individuals. That harmony must begin in each individual soul. – from I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes, by Glenn Clark
CFO Camps around the globe always conclude with what we call a World Prayer Broadcast, a time when the whole camp community gathers to lift our entire world up in prayer and pray for peace. A World Prayer Broadcast is always a wonderful way to end a CFO camp, but it is important to understand that the Prayer Broadcast really cannot happen until the end of camp. Why? Because it takes all of us individual campers time to “throw out the wrong things” and “harmonize” ourselves with the Holy Spirit’s will before we can pray for our world appropriately and effectively. “Prayer is like training to get into condition–a condition of peace,” and the CFO Day helps us train in the art of prayer.
The peace we seek in CFO is nothing less than the “peace that passeth understanding” that Jesus speaks of in the gospels. This is not a static peace, but an active, creative peace, born out of our creative prayer, creative love and creative faith. One could say that CFOers strive to ‘wage peace.’
Our CFO Camps, much like Advent, are a time of preparation. We take several days to come into balance that we might be channels for the work of the Holy Spirit. At the end of the week the combined “peace within” of each camper is harmonized in prayer to send a “peace without” to our world. It takes practice, but that is why Athletes of the Spirit keep returning to CFO Camps across the globe.
As we get ready to celebrate Christmas, perhaps we can do so in a ‘World Prayer Broadcast’ state of mind. I would like to invite you to be a part of a Year End World Prayer Broadcast. It’s very simple. (1) Between Christmas Eve and New Years Eve, take some time each day to mindfully flex those spiritual muscles be it in prayer, service, meditation, worship, etc. (2) Watch for an event post on our Facebook page for “World Prayer Broadcast 2016.” (3) Attend the event online simply by posting a prayer for peace for our world on our Facebook wall and use the hashtag #worldprayerbroadcast2016. (If Facebook isn’t your thing, send your prayer to cfoicoordinator@gmail.com and we’ll post it for you.)
Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin in me!
Thank you for your support of CFO International! If you haven’t done so already, please pray about supporting us financially in whatever amount the Holy Spirit would have you give. Your donation is tax deductible and helps with camp support around the world as well as our efforts to keep the Belt of Prayer connected online.