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The Bread Process: How God Shapes Us Through Pressure & Patience

  • Writer: John D McLaughlin
    John D McLaughlin
  • Sep 13
  • 3 min read

Updated: Oct 11

Freshly baked artisan bread with natural cross pattern on crust symbolizing faith, patience, and God’s shaping process

“Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.” Luke 13:20–21 (KJV)


“But now, O Lord, thou art our father; and we all are the work of thy hand.” Isaiah 64:8 (KJV)


“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6 (KJV)



Bread-making is a simple process on the surface, just flour, water, yeast, and salt. Yet, those humble ingredients must endure mixing, stretching, waiting, shaping, and heat before they become something nourishing.


Fascial work is much the same. At first glance, it’s “just” gentle hands on the body. But over time, with sustained pressure and purposeful pauses, it transforms how the body moves and feels.


And this is exactly how God works in us—slowly, intentionally, and in phases that don’t always look like progress at first.



1. The Mixing – Sticky, Unformed, Resistant


Children joyfully baking bread with flour scattered on the table, reflecting the messy yet transformative beginnings of God’s work in us

When ingredients first come together, they’re a sticky, lumpy mass. The dough resists and there’s no structure yet.


In the body, fascia can feel the same way—dense, unclear, and restricted in the early stages of therapy. Spiritually, the beginning of surrender to God can feel just as messy.


Isaiah 64:8 reminds us, “We are the clay, and thou our potter.” God begins by gathering us together in His hands, even when we feel unready or unfinished.



2. The Fold and Stretch – Resistance Builds Strength


Close-up of hands kneading bread dough, illustrating pressure, stretching, and the patient process of spiritual and physical transformation

Dough is folded, stretched, and allowed to rest over and over. This process doesn’t just soften it; it strengthens it so it can rise.


In fascial therapy, sustained pressure followed by rest allows the body to adapt and release restrictions. God does this with us too—stretching our faith, giving us space to rest, then returning to shape us further.


As James 1:3–4 says, “The trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work…”



3. The Waiting – Left Alone but Rising Within


After the stretching, the dough is left alone. From the outside, nothing is happening. Inside, transformation is underway.


It’s easy to mistake this phase for abandonment, but Philippians 1:6 promises that “He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”


In fascial work, integration often happens between sessions. In faith, some of God’s deepest shaping happens when life feels still.



4. The Shaping – Prepared for the Fire


Resting time ends, and the dough is handled again—folded, shaped and made ready for heat.


Romans 9:21 reminds us that the Potter knows exactly how to prepare His vessels. God doesn’t rush us into trials; He shapes us to endure them.


In fascial therapy, handling and gentle stress prepare the body for greater release and function.



5. The Heat – Trials That Transform


The oven is where dough becomes bread. The heat isn’t punishment, it’s completion.


1 Peter 1:7 says that the testing of our faith is “much more precious than of gold that perisheth.”


Just as bread releases its aroma in the heat, our lives can release the fragrance of Christ in trials.


In fascia, heat and deep pressure often release restrictions that no lighter touch could reach. Spiritually, trials can refine our character and faith in ways nothing else can.



Reflection: The Bread Process and God’s Shaping


  • What stage of the bread process are you in? Are you being stirred, stretched, resting, or in the fire?

  • Have you mistaken waiting for abandonment?

  • Could the pressure you’re feeling be preparation rather than punishment?



Application


  • During your next session or moment of discomfort, remember: “This tension is not punishment—it’s preparation.”

  • Try prayer during difficult moments: “Shape me, Lord. I trust the process.”

  • Bake a loaf of bread this week as a spiritual practice—reflect on what each step reveals about the bread process and God’s shaping in your life.



Closing Prayer


Father, thank You for being intentional with us. Thank You that nothing in our lives is wasted—not the stretching, not the waiting, not even the heat. Teach us to trust the process You’ve started in us. Build in us the structure to rise, the grace to rest, and the endurance to stand in the fire. May we yield like dough in the hands of the Baker. In Jesus’ name, Amen.



🎥 Want to go deeper? Watch the full teaching on YouTube:


The Bread Process: How God Shapes Us Through Pressure & Patience. In this episode, we’ll explore how the Kingdom of God, as Jesus described in Luke 13:20–21, is like yeast slowly working through dough until the whole is changed. We’ll look at how every stage: mixing, stretching, resting, shaping, and even the fire has purpose.

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