I punched the dough a few more times and then rounded it off and dumped it into a bowl. Covered it with a thin cloth and let it rise.
There's nothing in the world, in my humble opinion, better than fresh bread baking. It permeates the house, and seems to linger for hours. I can almost feel the melting butter, dripping on my chin. Anxious to pop that loaf into the oven, I had been anticipating warm bread all day long. A phone call changed my plans. I was needed elsewhere, just for a little while.
However, by the time I returned home, the bread dough had fallen into an ugly mess. Uhgggggg.
Looking at the bread and remembering how disappointed I was, it reminded me of my prayer life.
When I tend to it, and give it the attention I should, my life runs pretty smoothly. However, when I don't it's just about like the fallen bread dough.
It reminds me how sometimes Jesus needs to let me "fall" before He can make something wonderful happen in my life. Even though sometimes I don't feel like I "need" to be "kneaded", it's necessary for my growth. Just like the bread dough. The more I knead it, the better it is.
And just like the Potter, I am the clay.
The more I NEED Him, the better I am. 
Isaiah 64:8 But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your Hand.