Stretching to Connect
Dear Esthers,
One of the prophetic pictures of this year, 5786, is stretching to connect. The Hebrew letter Vav (ו) means “hook” or “nail.” It’s the image of joining things together—heaven to earth, vision to reality, past to future. But before connection comes, there must be stretching.
Recently, I began physical stretching exercises. I assumed it would be easy compared to lifting weights. But to my surprise, I felt more sore from stretching than I did from the workouts themselves. Why? Because stretching awakens muscles that have been dormant. It pulls on areas you didn’t even realize had grown tight or unused. The soreness is proof that those muscles are being awakened, lengthened, and prepared for greater strength.
obedience, and in faith. He presses into parts of our lives that haven’t been used or have grown stiff. It can feel sore, even painful. But the soreness is a sign of growth. It means new capacity is being developed.
Dear Esthers, the same is true in the Spirit. Stretching doesn’t always feel like triumph—it often feels like discomfort. God stretches us in prayer, in relationships, in
When God began to stretch me, it looked like stepping into rooms where I felt unqualified, saying yes to assignments that scared me, and loving people I thought I couldn’t. It pulled me beyond comfort. But it was in that very stretch that I found divine connection—first deeper with Him, then with those He had destined me to walk beside.
So do not resist the soreness of this season. It is not punishment—it is preparation. Muscles stretch before they strengthen. Capacity expands before the crown rests. Stretching wide makes room for connection, and connection makes way for Kingdom convergence.
Do not hold back. The sore places are not signs of weakness, they are signs of awakening.