You can have the presence of God come with you all day long. He is willing to be with you in every decision you make!

During the Renaissance, the Abbé de Beaufort and Frère Laurent de la Résurrection, known as Brother Lawrence, recorded four conversations together. There were also copies of letters Brother Lawrence wrote, as well as notes, published with these conversations in the 1690’s.  These famous “Conversations”, now published as The Practice of the Presence of God, tell an incredible story. 
 
Brother Lawrence joined the monastery in part to escape his clumsiness; he didn’t want to be the way he was. He needed to find God and to know the Lord. In the winter he saw a dormant tree. It was frozen and there was snow on the branches. As he stood there, he realized it was going to change in the spring. He knew that suddenly leaves would be growing on the branches, and He saw a vision of the mastery of God. Brother Lawrence…

Brother Lawrence’s words made me think about what we’re going through with the Corona virus.  Right now, America is like a tree which is leafless and fruitless and waiting to rise again. That’s what Brother Lawrence saw in this tree. When the Lord spoke to him, He told Brother Lawrence that His presence brings life to the tree. He felt the presence of God! He never forgot the image of that tree, or how he could feel the presence of God upon him. 
 
Here is a key about you and what you can gain in prayer everyday; and this is part of why my family and I are praying every day: You’ll find in practicing the presence of God, everything gets put together. In His presence, He fixes everything. Everything comes inline. God wants to take us into the future. He wants to show us the glory of tomorrow and all of the wonderful things that can happen. He does that through His presence.   
 
When we are hungry for God, He responds. He visits us with His presence. May the presence of God flow through you into the project you are working on! Let the love of God help you in the tasks before you. Feel the love of God pour out of you. 
 
Whatever it is the Lord wants you to do, put your whole heart, and all your attention into it. In every action you do, no matter how large or small, please the Lord. God is love. When the love of God comes though you in the work you do, no matter what type of work it is, take the task as an opportunity to please the Father. 

Sent in love, Pastor Richard Gazowksy

(quotes pictured taken directly from the texts of the Abbé de Beaufort and Frère Laurent de la Résurrection, Brother Lawrence)

On Sunday I received a text message from one of the intercessors who prays with us all of the time, Sister Ana Lopez. She said:

That is so powerful! These are not just flukes that occur; healing and angelic activity are signs and wonders. The Lord is allowing us to hear and see the army of Lord. This army is coming on our behalf. We need to recognize these things and believe in our hearts.

Father, we thank Sister Lopez for sharing how she saw the army of the Lord coming. God, we agree with her, and we welcome the army of the Lord to our nation. God, we stand in our streets, raising our hands, saying, ‘Praise the Lord! Let the armies come! Let God’s will be done in our nation!’ This is the time when You are appearing before Your people, God. This pandemic seems to be so unstoppable, so overwhelming, that every nation on earth is fighting with this.

The love of God is going to sweep the earth, just as Sister Lopez fought her infection until You cleared it up. The joy of the Lord came to her, and she recognized You will bring healing upon the nations of the world. You will heal and bring restoration to families, churches, homes, businesses, governments ~ people in all walks of life. They will experience Your power and Your glory! Lord, we pray for this now. We pray for the manifestation of Your glory to come into our homes. We thank you for this incredible testimony. You show the wonder and the great provision! Heal our ears, so we can hear You clearly and hear Your army coming to our rescue!

Sent in Love,

Pastor Richard Gazowsky

While we are in intercession, God is taking care of everything. There’s not one thing God isn’t doing. It’s incredible when you realize how detailed the Kingdom of God is, how exact. Right now, God is watching your street, whatever country you’re in, your neighborhood, your bills, whatever it is, God is watching!  

I had a surprise bill hit me this afternoon, and when I looked, God had the money right there! Everything was provided for. There was no fretting, because God had prepared for everything. God watches over you. He knows you. He knows every detail of your life. He’s watching every single area.   

“Father, we ask You now Lord, to take us in that realm of faith where we can believe for the impossible to occur. Lord, show us how great Your ways are! Take us beyond the rainbow, Lord. Take us into the wonderful experience of knowing You and the power of Your promises. It is so beautiful to serve You, God!”

The following lyrics to “Over the Rainbow” were written in 1938 by Yip Harburg, a Russian Jewish immigrant to New York, on the verge of the imminent Holocaust. Many have now realized how profoundly prophetic his lyrics really were:  

“Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high

There’s a land that I heard of once, in a lullaby

Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue

And the dreams that you dare to dream, really do come true

Someday I’ll wish upon a star

And wake up where the clouds are far

Behind me

Where troubles melt like lemon drops

Away above the chimney tops

That’s where you’ll find me

Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly

Birds fly over the rainbow

Why then, oh, why can’t I?

If happy little bluebirds fly

Beyond the rainbow

Why, oh, why, can’t I?”

“Jesus, we love You, Lord because we know, somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue! Give us faith for the difficulties we’re going through. Give us faith to see beyond this, to see beyond what is occurring. We love You so much. 
“There is nothing like Your presence, God. You will find us! You put the rainbows in the sky. They are Your promise that you will never lie, lead us astray, or hurt us. Show us how to walk perfectly in line with Your ways. There is such perfection we find in You, Lord.” 

Sent in love,

Pastor Richard Gazowsky

What an incredible time we are living in! Never before in any of our lifetimes have we been required to stay at home like this. In such an unprecedented hour, we all must be aware that the Lord is speaking to our nation. And this message is so clear that it is coming to every person in the world.

Don’t miss what the Lord is saying:
Your family is your center.

This was the message that God gave to me over 10 years ago when He said, “Richard, I can’t fix San Francisco until you fix your family.” It was four in the morning when this message came to me from God. I was driving to Los Angeles for a meeting, while beside me my family was asleep in our van. I then made this statement to the Lord: “Good Lord, that’s the only part of my life I’m proud of. All of my children are serving You!”

The Lord did not respond to my self-gratification. He instead replied, “When you fix your family, Richard, then I can heal all of San Francisco.“ I then said, “Lord, please tell me what’s wrong with my family.” The Lord simply said, “You, Richard, are what’s wrong.”

That was over 10 years ago when God spoke to me those words. Those simple words were true. As I began to humble myself before my family, every communication problem and misunderstanding slowly began to disappear. I strived to make all our family conversations kind, gentle, and loving.

To be extremely honest with you, it was hard for me because I realized that in every communication I could no longer be the ultimate authoritarian, which was my traditional idea of being a dad. I had to become a servant to everyone in my family ~ no matter how insignificant the need appeared to be.

When the Lord said I was the problem, I realized that I could also be part of the solution. Whoever you are, whatever family group the Lord has put you in charge of, please realize the healing God wants to bring to your family. Your humble spirit and love for each family member is key. Jesus put it this way, “But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.”

I’ll see you today on Periscope.

Sent in love,

Pastor Richard Gazowsky

The kingdom of God is an invisible network of communication covering the entire earth. No wonder Paul said, in Ephesians 1:20-23, from the Message Bible, “All this energy issues from Christ: God raised Him from death and set Him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from His rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which He speaks and acts, by which He fills everything with His presence.”
This is one of the best descriptions of the vastness of God’s kingdom. It is a network of communication very similar to the network of electromagnetic communication that links our cell phones together worldwide. You use your mobile phone to connect; in the same manner, we communicate with God in prayer. So it is every day as I pray on Periscope with you. Those links made in prayer show us the kingdom of God and how it globally connects us together. The network of prayer has never been as visible as it is today with the amazing technology in cell phones. The cell phone also gives a physical display of how important obedience to the Word of God is.
You must have a clear signal for uninterrupted calls. Your location matters, and your battery is important, but each of these elements must be strong enough for your call to go through uninterrupted. The same is true of personal prayer, and our private times with the Lord.
I’ve discovered that my most “private calls” in prayer are made early in the morning, when most of my family is still asleep. In these quiet morning communications, I can really hear the Words and whispers of the Lord clearly. Each one of us is uniquely diverse, so your communication to God might be in a totally different place, or at a completely different time. It’s necessary to understand how important it is to keep this communication channel clear.
Revelation 3:20 says: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” Notice how the Lord doesn’t say that He will open the door. You and I must open the door so that He can enter in. This also means we have to know when to close the door when the enemy comes, keeping out all enemy-related thoughts and communication. After unwanted calls, you block the caller so you don’t get any more communication from them.
With every Word of God that is obeyed the kingdom of God and His structure begins to form invisibly around you, your family, and those you influence.
This invisible structure is so valuable; it is the part of your life that will last forever! What God’s Word produces in you will be talked about and shared in Heaven. Its benefits will bring you wealth on earth, unspeakable joy, health, peace to your daily life and family, as well as treasured memories to share. And best of all, honor before the throne in Heaven!
This is why, “obedience is better than sacrifice.” Every night before bed, ask yourself, “Did I obey the Word, the whisper, and the instructions of God today?” If you feel that deep-rooted “Yes” in your spirit, you will sleep like a baby.
I must be honest with you, that over the years that I have learned this truth ~ every day that I’m living is becoming more mysteriously wonderful than yesterday. It’s amazing how happy your life can be!

Sent in love,

Pastor Richard Gazowsky

God bless you! On February 25, 2020, I had a dream I’d like to share with you:
“In my dream I saw my sister Misty trying to put pattern pieces together. The process was very confusing, and frustrating for her. She didn’t know what pieces went together, which sides of the fabric were the right or wrong side, or how to sew them together: By hand? By machine? Which thread to use? Then I saw the Lord standing next to her, wearing a white robe. He softly called out, ‘Misty…Misty,’ trying to get her attention.
“Then He very gently tapped her shoulder, ‘Misty, Misty!’ But Misty was too stressed to hear Him. That’s when I saw that next to the Lord He had prepared plates with pattern pieces carefully laid out on each plate. Misty didn’t even need to sew the pieces together. All that was required was to put glue on the pattern’s edges and stick them together. It was so simple. It was so easy!
“Next, I saw Misty worried about what she should eat. She was trying to plan a meal, but there were too many variables to figure out so she began to rub her head in frustration. Again I saw the Lord standing next to her and gently saying, ‘Misty…Misty,’ but she didn’t hear Him. And just like before, He very gently tapped her shoulder, ‘Misty…Misty!’ She didn’t look at Him. Then I saw that the Lord had a plate of food already prepared for her. She didn’t need to figure anything out!
“Finally, I saw Misty standing in front of a closet trying to figure out what she should wear to an event. She was getting frazzled as she pulled clothes out of the closet, yet none of the clothes seemed to be what she was looking for. Then I saw the Lord standing next to her as He gently called, ‘Misty…Misty,’ but she did not pay attention to Him. As she continued what she was doing, He very gently tapped her shoulder saying, ‘Misty…Misty!’ I saw that He had a complete outfit hanging on a hanger in His hand for her!”
I felt like God was saying that He already has everything figured out. There is no need to stress, worry, or plan. His entire process is already complete. All you need to do is acknowledge the Lord and receive it. It is so easy! The pattern is already laid out. All that needs to be done is to put the glue on, which He has provided, and stick the pattern pieces together in the order He laid out. It is so simple! It’s time to focus on God, because He wants your attention.
Sent in love,
Rocki Starr Gazowsky

When God whispers to us, it is a valuable treasure. The treasure of God’s Word is a seed full of promise. It can eventually grow into a fruit-bearing action and can even become a great and prosperous tree. Jesus explains this in Luke 8:11:
“Now the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God.” In that simple phrase, Jesus shows us that the power of multiplication is found exclusively in the literal words of God’s spoken Word to you.
When we communicate to others, we rarely think of how powerful our communication is. We may say, “Oh well, I didn’t really mean it;” or, “I was just kidding,” or, “I was just thinking out loud” without taking into consideration how powerful the communication was that we made to another person. Through the years, I have noticed times when my casual communications, or sometimes even small criticisms, became seeds of bitterness in people’s hearts. Those bitter seeds choked out many good aspects of their life because a root of bitterness grew.
On the other hand, I’ve seen beautiful, wonderful words of encouragement become seeds of life which caused people to make changes that completely restructured their life, their children’s lives, and now their grandchildren’s lives for the better.
What I’ve shared with you are the seeds and fruit of human words. But God’s Words are beyond human ~ they are divine Words of life that spring up into everlasting life when He speaks to us! Even the quietest whisper must be treasured, cared for and nurtured, because it will grow into something wonderful in your life!
When a seed is planted in the ground some of the most important elements for the seed to grow are fertilization and water. Water, like wealth, causes the seed to grow. But the water is not the seed. Water is a multiplier, but remember that the love of money is the root of all evil. Fertilizer, made from manure, makes the seed grow healthier and more prosperous. When we are criticized, by the enemy and others, it is the “waste” that is good fertilizer for our seeds. (A few blog’s ago I shared with you the revelation that hurtful criticism can actually be good fertilizer, for the seeds of God’s Word to multiply.)
The revelation that the seed is the Word of God is vital for us, especially now that America is in an incredible Spiritual transition. If you look back in history, when the Renaissance was beginning to grow in Vienna, many nations were suffering with plagues and pestilence. Most notable was the Black Plague. It was killing so many people that the emperor of the holy Roman emperor bowed himself before the Lord in a simple humbling prophetic act before the nations of Europe. The plague stopped, and there is a huge statue depicting this famous act by the Holy emperor of Rome in Vienna today!
About five years ago on Periscope, I prayed around this statue, not realizing that the same event is occurring right now in our troubled world. Pestilence and plagues are raging, but at the same time, God’s Word is becoming active in believers’ lives. God is birthing new seeds of prosperity, innovation, and adventure in your life! Protect these precious seeds; some are given to you in His smallest whisper, though sometimes might be just one word.
This is the most precious time to be alive. Yes, judgment may be here, but so are extremely bountiful blessings. In the days of Moses, the plagues that came upon Egypt did not affect God’s people in the land of Goshen. I believe that the plagues that are on the earth will not affect God’s people. Wherever you are, may God put His protection around you and give you the precious seed of His Word.
Sent in love,
Pastor Richard Gazowsky

As I was praying on Periscope with everyone, the Lord reminded me of how important today is, especially in light of the Scripture: “To day if ye will hear His voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.”
Wow! God really expects us to hear Him when He speaks, “Today”. Whatever day it is that you are reading this blog, it is your “Today” and it is no accident that you are reading this sentence because God wants to speak to you today.
The ever-present day you are in right now is extremely vital to God. The Lord does not like to be put on hold when He calls you. Now let me get back to today, when I had just finished my Periscope Prayer. I was walking down a beautiful city street with my family and very close friends, when I noticed a store owner was just flipping his sign to “Closed”. When he saw me, he flipped the sign back to “Open”.
The Lord whispered to me in the gentlest voice, “Take his offer.” I walked up to the door where the store owner was waiting. After a short joyful greeting, he was joined by a beautiful young lady that I assumed was his companion. I felt that slight whisper from the voice of God, “Bless them.” I explained that I was a pastor and I felt that I should bless them. They immediately closed their eyes, grabbed each other’s hands, and I prayed a simple blessing upon them. Then I quickly rushed down the street to join my family who was now about a half a block ahead of me.
But with each step that I made away from the couple, the Lord kept whispering to me, “You must go back. The gentleman has a great opportunity that is about to be presented to him. Tell him about it, and say to the couple it would please Me if they were married.” I immediately turned around and headed back to the store. As I walked back, I remembered the Scripture we were praying on Periscope today about not hardening the heart.
I knew I must give this message to this couple, no matter how difficult it was for me. I knew nothing about them; I didn’t even know if they liked each other or maybe they were married or maybe… A thousand scenarios were bombarding my mind like darts of the enemy, giving me layers and layers of excuses to turn around and join my family. But I headed into the store, desperately wanting to obey the voice of God.
The store’s front door was wide open, so I stepped inside. It was empty! But then I saw the back of the gentleman in a doorway. He looked at me and then rushed to my side and said, “Oh, Pastor, please come here, she’s crying.” The young lady walked out of the room with tears flowing down her face and she said, “I’m not sad. I am happy for the blessing that you gave us. It meant so much that I can’t quit crying!”
I grabbed both of their hands and shared the message the Lord had given to me. They explained they have been together for three years, but had not been married because they were afraid. He was Jewish, raised in Israel, and she was a strong Christian, raised Episcopalian. To my surprise, he told us he had worked for 15 years in downtown San Francisco, and I had bought cameras at his shop on Grant Street! This was obviously no coincidence. It was definitely a divine appointment by God.
Then my daughter Rocki came running to the shop door and exclaimed, “Dad! Everybody’s waiting for you.”
The young lady turned to Rocki and said, “Your dad has been praying with us.”
Rocki replied in a voice that had the Spirit of prayer in it already, “Oh! That is so important.”
The couple immediately agreed that they would be working on their plans to get married, and we all hugged. Rocki and I walked to join our family rejoicing in the little miracle that made a wonderful “Today”.
Sent in love,
Pastor Richard Gazowsky