Midnight PrayersSample

The Price & Presence of Prayer

“I’m hungry—can we please eat now?”

That was me almost every night growing up. And every night, my dad had the same answer: we weren’t touching our food until we prayed.

Back then, it felt like a delay. Now, I see it differently.

What I didn’t understand as a kid is this: prayer came at a price.

In Matthew 27:51, when Jesus died on the cross, the curtain in the temple was torn from top to bottom. That curtain wasn’t just fabric or decoration; it separated people from the presence of God. Only the High Priest could go behind it, once a year, with a sacrifice.

Access to God was limited. It was serious. It costs something.

But when Jesus died, everything changed.

The curtain was torn, not by people, but by God Himself. Jesus paid the price so we could have direct access to God.

That means you can talk to God anytime. Anywhere. No barrier. No middleman. You can enter into the presence of God as forgiven sons and daughters. The price was paid so you can pray IN His presence and your words reach the ear of the Father.

So the next time you pray, before a meal, before a game, or before you go to sleep, remember this:

You are stepping into something that cost Jesus everything.

Reflection: Do you treat prayer like a routine or like a privilege?