Easter Sunday: Morning Time w/God

🌅 MORNING TIME WITH GOD

🌿 Scripture to Begin With

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” — James 4:8 NKJV

“In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” — Psalm 16:11 NKJV

💡 Teaching: The Sacred Nearness of God

God does not require perfection to draw near—He requires permission.
Your yes this morning is a divine key unlocking heaven's nearness.

Sometimes we expect to feel closeness before we believe we’re close.
But the truth is: faith precedes feeling.

Jesus is already here.
The Holy Spirit lives inside of you.
The Father has already bent toward you.
Your awareness, not His proximity, is what needs awakening.

So today, instead of striving to get close, try this:

“God, help me notice that You're already here.”

Let that be your posture. Not reaching… but receiving. Not climbing… but being carried.

✍️ Journal Prompts

1. Where do I most feel God’s presence right now—in body, heart, or spirit?

2. What would change about my life if I believed God was walking with me today?

3. What lies or barriers have I believed about God’s nearness?

4. How do I want to feel in God’s presence—safe, seen, restored, known?

5. If Jesus whispered something into my spirit right now, what do I sense it would be?

💎 Affirmations for Closeness

• I am safe in God’s presence.

• I was designed to walk in constant closeness with Jesus.

• I am seen, known, and fully loved.

• The Holy Spirit in me is greater than the chaos around me.

• I walk with peace, because I walk with God.

🙏 Prayer

Father,

I turn my face toward You this morning, not as a stranger reaching across a chasm, but as a daughter already seated at the table.

Jesus, I welcome You into my thoughts, my emotions, my plans, and my body.

Holy Spirit, help me become aware of You again. Remove the fog of distraction, disappointment, and distance. I renounce every lie that says I have to work harder to feel close.

Instead, I receive the gift of Your nearness. I breathe it in. I rest in it. I walk in it.

Let today be marked by intimacy.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

📖 SECOND TEACHING: The Parable of the Sower – Matthew 13:1–23

Scripture Focus

“But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit…” — Matthew 13:23 NKJV

🧠 What This Parable Means (Simplified)

Jesus tells a story about a farmer (God) sowing seed (the Word of God) into different kinds of soil (hearts). There are four types:

1. Path – the Word is heard but snatched away by the enemy (distraction, doubt).

2. Rocky soil – the Word is received with excitement but has no root, so it fades in hard times.

3. Thorns – the Word is choked by life’s worries, riches, or desires for other things.

4. Good soil – the Word takes root, grows deep, and bears fruit.

💡 Teaching Breakdown

• This parable isn’t about judgment—it’s about invitation. Jesus wants us to become good soil.

• Each “soil” reflects the state of your heart in different seasons or situations.

• You may be “good soil” in one area (your business), but “thorny soil” in another (your love life).

The goal is not perfection, but honest tending.

✍️ Journal Prompts for Matthew 13

1. What kind of soil is my heart in this season of life?

2. Where am I allowing distractions to choke God’s Word in my life?

3. What could it look like for me to create more space for God to plant deep truth in me?

4. Where have I lost passion when hardship came—and how can I invite God to re-root me?

5. What fruit do I want to see God grow in my life this year?

💬 Affirmations from the Parable

• I am good soil, and God is cultivating something eternal in me.

• I am open to the Word of God and its transformation.

• I resist the thorns of worry and welcome the peace of God.

• I trust that what God plants in me will grow, flourish, and bear fruit.

🙏 Prayer Based on Matthew 13

Lord Jesus,

Make my heart good soil. I give You full access to pluck out the thorns of anxiety, uproot shallow beliefs, and clear the path of distractions.

I want to be someone who hears Your Word, understands it, and bears fruit in every area of life—my mind, my relationships, my money, my calling.

Let this be a season of divine gardening. I give You my heart to tend.

In Your name,
Amen.