The Remedy for Unanswered Prayers | The Power of Short

Sunday, February 22



Scriptures 

Job 38:22-30; Isaiah 55:8-11; I Thessalonians 5:16-17; Acts 10:4; Psalm 147:14-18; Ezekiel 47:3-5; Acts 2:17 

Introduction 

Today we’ll explore the message, “The Power of Short Prayers: The Remedy for Unanswered Prayers by Jentezen Franklin. In this message, we are reminded that even the shortest prayers are never wasted. Like snowflakes, every prayer we pray is stored by God, building a spiritual reserve that He releases at the right time as a life-giving river. When nothing seems to be happening, God is still working, 

collecting every word of faith, every whispered cry, and every declaration of His promises. In 

seasons of spiritual “winter,” we are encouraged not to give up, because our persistent 

prayers are preparing breakthroughs, healing, and restoration in God’s perfect timing. 

What stood out to you from Sunday’s message? 

Key Points 

  • Keep praying. The best climate for snow is cold. When everything looks cold and dead in your life, that’s the time you must store up the snow of prayer. Don’t give up praying. Keep praying your “yet-to-be-answered” prayers.  
  • No snow, no flow. The more you store up snowflakes of prayers, the bigger the avalanche will be. Keep proclaiming the promises of God’s Word over your situation, even when you don’t see any sign of an answer. When the season is right, God will send the flow of the river of life that comes from the snowflakes of your prayers.  
  • Stand the cold. You’re storing up a mountain peak in Heaven when you pray. The greater the snow, the greater the flow. The coldest seasons of your life are the best times to store prayers. 

The Treasury of Snow – Short Prayers That Build Up 

Revelation 5:8 (NIV): "… and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God's people." 

Revelation 8:3-4 (NIV): "Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God's people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God's people, went up before God from the angel's hand." 

Prayers are like individual snowflakes—seemingly small and insignificant on their own, but when they accumulate over time, they form a powerful treasury of spiritual strength. God stores these prayers in His "treasury of snow," ready to release them as a mighty flow to accomplish His will.  

Job 38:22-23 NLT 

“Have you visited the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of hail? (I have reserved them as weapons for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war.) 

This imagery reminds us that no prayer is wasted; even brief ones add up like snow piling into a mountain peak. In those dry, discouraging periods—much like a harsh winter where growth seems impossible—consistent short prayers create a reservoir of faith.  

In spiritual "winter" times, when life feels cold, barren, and unresponsive, we should pray even more faithfully, trusting that God is building something unseen for future breakthroughs. 

God honors this persistence, melting the "snow" into rivers of blessing when His timing arrives, turning our spiritual winters into seasons of abundant life. 

  • When have you kept praying even when it felt cold and nothing seemed to change?   
  • How does the idea of God storing your short prayers in a "treasury" encourage you during tough times?   
  • What’s one area of your life that feels like a "spiritual winter" right now—how can you commit to more short prayers there? 

No Snow, No Flow – The River of Breakthrough 

In his sermon today, Pastor Franklin taught us that if we want breakthrough in our lives, families, and ministries, we must steadfastly and continually send up short prayers to God. He also said that these prayers are like snowflakes that by themselves may seem insignificant, but that when enough of them accumulate, they can be powerful enough to send an 18-wheeler down a mountain. Over time, these “snowflake prayers” accumulate into a “treasury of snow”, and when God’s timing comes, they turn into a river of blessing that brings healing, recovery, and deliverance into our lives and the lives of those around us.  

Ezekiel 47: 1-9 speaks of just such a river that the prophet Ezekiel saw in a vision from God. Verse 9 specifically says, “Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; sowhere the river flows everything will live.” (NIV)  

Everything that the river touches will live! What an awesome promise from God for our lives and families, but for the river to flow and bring healing, we must pray without ceasing. Pastor Franklin repeatedly used the term, “No snow, no flow.” In other words, if we want the river of blessing to flow, we must send up our “snowflake payers” without ceasing. 

Acts chapter 10 speaks of just such a man who prayed without ceasing. His mane was Cornelius, and he was a Roman centurion, a gentile, and a man whom the Bible says, “prayed continually to God.” (Acts 10:2 NIV). Over time, Cornelius’s prayers accumulated in heaven, and when it was time for God to begin to reveal himself to the gentile world, he started with this man and his family who had created a spiritual glacier through years of faithful prayer. Amazingly, this blessing on the gentile world extends all the way to us today! Don’t ever stop praying, and don’t ever underestimate how far the blessing of your prayers can extend.  

 

  • What “river” are you praying for in your life and family? 
  • Do you ever become discouraged when you don’t see immediate results from your prayers? 
  • What is a time during your daily routine that you could 

What God Does When We Pray 

The Bible is filled with powerful examples where God intervened specifically because people prayed. As James 5:16 says, "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."  

Let these examples inspire you: God hears and moves when His people pray. So instead of carrying the worry any longer, hand it over in prayer. 

Healing and Restoration 

  • Elijah prays for the widow's son — The boy had died, but Elijah stretched himself over the child three times and cried out to God. The Lord listened and revived the boy (1 Kings 17:17-24; see especially v. 22: "And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah"). 
  • Jesus heals the centurion's servant — The centurion asked Jesus to heal his paralyzed servant; Jesus marveled at his faith and healed him at that moment (Matthew 8:5-13). 

Deliverance and Protection 

  • Jehoshaphat's prayer for deliverance — Facing a vast enemy army, Jehoshaphat prayed, "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you." God answered by causing the enemies to destroy each other, giving victory without battle (2 Chronicles 20:1-30). 
  • Moses intercedes for Israel — After the golden calf incident, Moses prayed fervently, and God relented from destroying the people (Exodus 32:7-14, 30-34). 

Provision and Miracles 

  • Hannah prays for a child — Barren and distressed, Hannah prayed fervently in the temple. God remembered her and gave her Samuel (1 Samuel 1:9-20). 
  • Elijah prays for rain — After years of drought (which he had prophesied), Elijah prayed persistently—a small cloud appeared, and heavy rain came (1 Kings 18:41-45; James 5:17-18 highlights this as an example of effective prayer). 
  • Gideon's fleece prayers — Doubting God's call, Gideon prayed for confirmation with wet/dry fleece signs. God answered both times to confirm His will (Judges 6:36-40). 

Salvation and Broader Breakthroughs 

  • Joshua prays for the sun to stand still — In battle, Joshua asked God to make the sun and moon halt. God answered, and the sun stood still for a full day (Joshua 10:12-14). 
  • Abraham intercedes for Sodom — Abraham prayed repeatedly for God to spare the city if righteous people were found. God engaged with his requests, though only Lot's family escaped (Genesis 18:20-33).

Conclusion 

Every short prayer we send up is like a snowflake—small on its own, but when we keep praying faithfully, even in cold, dry seasons, those prayers build a treasury that God turns into a rushing river of breakthrough, healing, salvation, and revival. No snow, no flow. The river is coming—don’t grow weary; keep stacking those snowflakes for your family, your future, and the generations after you. 

This week, pick one dry area in your life (a prodigal, a need, a dream) and commit to sending up at least one short, believing prayer every day. Trust God’s perfect timing. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for hearing every prayer we’ve ever prayed. Help us stay faithful in the cold seasons and keep building our treasury of snow. Release the river of Your life, healing, and power over our families, our church, and our world. Not our will, but Yours be done. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

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