When Prayer Feels Fruitless — Until It Isn’t episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 6, 2026 · 9 MIN

When Prayer Feels Fruitless — Until It Isn’t

from Unwritten · host FOCUS

In this episode of Unwritten, Trevor Barreca sits down with Melissa Sartori, who shares a quiet but powerful story of how God works long before we ever see the fruit.While serving on a small Catholic campus in the Northeast, he was tasked with reaching student athletes — a group that made up nearly a quarter of the entire student body. Many were open, curious, and eager. But one athlete, Caitlyn, always stayed just out of reach: friendly, kind, smiling… yet never willing to go deeper.Despite little visible progress, she never left his prayers. And then, on a cold November night — with plans canceled and Thanksgiving break hours away — everything changed.In This Episode You’ll Hear:🏃‍♀️ Life as a campus missionary working with student athletes🙏 What it looks like to pray faithfully when nothing seems to be happening🚪 The unexpected knock on the door that changed everything💔 Caitlyn’s story of broken relationships, addiction, and deep loneliness❤️ A raw conversation about emptiness, longing, and the desire to be loved✝️ The simple prayer that opened the door to a real relationship with JesusThis episode is a reminder that no one is a lost cause, that God is always planting seeds beneath the surface, and that our smallest prayers — even when they feel unnoticed — may be preparing the ground for something life-changing.

In this episode of Unwritten, Trevor Barreca sits down with Melissa Sartori, who shares a quiet but powerful story of how God works long before we ever see the fruit.While serving on a small Catholic campus in the Northeast, he was tasked with reaching student athletes — a group that made up nearly a quarter of the entire student body. Many were open, curious, and eager. But one athlete, Caitlyn, always stayed just out of reach: friendly, kind, smiling… yet never willing to go deeper.Despite little visible progress, she never left his prayers. And then, on a cold November night — with plans canceled and Thanksgiving break hours away — everything changed.In This Episode You’ll Hear:🏃‍♀️ Life as a campus missionary working with student athletes🙏 What it looks like to pray faithfully when nothing seems to be happening🚪 The unexpected knock on the door that changed everything💔 Caitlyn’s story of broken relationships, addiction, and deep loneliness❤️ A raw conversation about emptiness, longing, and the desire to be loved✝️ The simple prayer that opened the door to a real relationship with JesusThis episode is a reminder that no one is a lost cause, that God is always planting seeds beneath the surface, and that our smallest prayers — even when they feel unnoticed — may be preparing the ground for something life-changing.

NOW PLAYING

When Prayer Feels Fruitless — Until It Isn’t

0:00 9:06

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Fore the Ladies Golf Podcast Fore the Ladies Welcome to Fore the Ladies! What started as one introduction-to-golf clinic in 2019 has grown to a community of amazing people that strive to bring more to the game. On the Fore the Ladies podcast, we you 3 series: Ladies of Golf, which introduces you to the women who play, work and challenge the game. Golf 101, where we explain the unwritten rules and debunk the complicated parts of golf. And Mixed Bag with Abby Liebenthal and Justin Kruse, where they break down what’s going on women’s golf. Thanks for being here! On Our Watch KQED When correctional officer Valentino Rodriguez first stepped behind prison walls, he wasn't just starting a job, he was joining a family. What he didn’t know was that he was now bound by an unwritten code that would ultimately test his loyalty to his oath and his fellow officers. Five years later, Valentino's sudden death would raise questions from the FBI, his family and his mentor in the elite investigative unit where they both worked. This season, join us as we follow in Valentino’s footsteps to uncover the secrets hidden inside the most dangerous prison in California: New Folsom.If you have tips or feedback about this series please reach out to us at [email protected].   The Unwritten Rule The Unwritten Rule Join Jack, Kenny and Payton as they discuss Mizzou sports and more in a comedic fashion every Monday and Friday. Worm: An Unabridged Production + We've Got Worm Abaddon Productions + Doof! Media An introverted teenage girl with an unconventional superpower, Taylor goes out in costume to find escape from a deeply unhappy and frustrated civilian life. Her first attempt at taking down a supervillain sees her mistaken for one, thrusting her into the midst of the local ‘cape’ scene’s politics, unwritten rules, and ambiguous morals. As she risks life and limb, Taylor faces the dilemma of having to do the wrong things for the right reasons. This is an unabridged fan-recording of Worm, written by John "Wildbow" McCrae. No copyright infringement is intended. This podcast feed aggregates the analysis podcast We've Got Worm with the relevant episodes of Worm: An Unabridged Production.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Unwritten?

This episode is 9 minutes long.

When was this Unwritten episode published?

This episode was published on January 6, 2026.

What is this episode about?

In this episode of Unwritten, Trevor Barreca sits down with Melissa Sartori, who shares a quiet but powerful story of how God works long before we ever see the fruit.While serving on a small Catholic campus in the Northeast, he was tasked with...

Can I download this Unwritten episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!