Are Saints prayers more powerful?

[lamjmj]

This was between me and some other Catholics. I was explaining that I pray to the saints because their prayers are more likely to be answered. Then I was asked if I thought their prayers were more powerful. I said yes. Their response was that did I mean that they earned it. We of course cannot earn God’s graces, I could not come up with an explanation that I or they liked. They prayed to the saints because it felt like family praying for each other, They did not think the saints prayers as more powerful. How would you explain?

 

[Loml]

Yes

James 5:16 ‘Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful.’

 

[achmafooma]

The Saints prayers have ‘extra’ merit, not because they ‘earned’ it but because they have been purified. Having made it to heaven, we know they are completely without sin and have already ‘served their time’ in Purgatory, if it was necessary.

Being sinless, and being present with God, means that the Saints’ prayers are more powerful than ours. They are not made to go astray by sin or the propensity for sin, their desires are more perfectly ordered and obedient to God’s desires, etc.

The fact is that being in the Church Triumphant in heaven is a higher position than being in the Church Militant here on Earth.

God bless you!

 

[momor]

Saints have entered into the Beatific Vision - they are face to face with Christ. Their intercessions are powerful and their prayers more perfected than ours. There is none more so than the Blessed Mother of Jesus who is a most obedient and loving Son.

 

[lamjmj]

thanks, for the answers, now how do explain how someone’s prayers on earth are more powerful than someone else’s. I would say they are more poweful because some live their lives to the will of God more so than others. They also had a hard time with this. They could not understand how 1 person’s prayer was better than someone else’s.

 

[momor]

thanks, for the answers, now how do explain how someone’s prayers on earth are more powerful than someone else’s. I would say they are more poweful because some live their lives to the will of God more so than others. They also had a hard time with this. They could not understand how 1 person’s prayer was better than someone else’s.

What criteria do they use to determine that one person’s prayer is better than another’s?

 

[JVSantos]

YES!

 

[promethius]

thanks, for the answers, now how do explain how someone’s prayers on earth are more powerful than someone else’s. I would say they are more poweful because some live their lives to the will of God more so than others. They also had a hard time with this. They could not understand how 1 person’s prayer was better than someone else’s.

A sinner prays that someone they don’t like will die.

A holy person in a state of grace prays for God’s Divine guidance to see them through a tough situation in a way that is pleasing to God.

Which do you think will be “more powerful” and most amenable to God? Which do you think that God will act on?

The righteous man, and ultimately the most righteous of man are the Saints in heaven, prays according to and within the will of God, so God’s will and the will of the righteous man are in agreement.

As another point on Saints in heaven: they do not need sleep, time to eat, they do not need to “socialize” in the sense that we do, their will is perfect and undistracted by temptations of sin… so they can pray even more robustly and within the will of God than any on earth can.

 

[LiftHimUp]

Saints have entered into the Beatific Vision - they are face to face with Christ. Their intercessions are powerful and their prayers more perfected than ours. There is none more so than the Blessed Mother of Jesus who is a most obedient and loving Son.

That’s not in the bible.

 

[promethius]

That’s not in the bible.

Off topic. Read the forum rules.

Furthermore, beatification is clearly indicated by scripture, and I’ll be glad to discuss that with you if you want to start a thread in the Sacred Scripture area.

 

[pablope]

That’s not in the bible.

Read Rev 4 to Rev 8.

 

[Todd_Easton]

You might ask your friends to consider what is said about the efficacy of the prayer of a righteous man in James 5:16-18:
The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects. 17Elijah was a man of like nature with ourselves and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18Then he prayed again and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth its fruit.
You can bet that during those three and a half years many people prayed for the drought to end yet it was the prayer of righteous Elijah that was efficacious.

They might also consider what is said about the efficacy of the prayer of righteous Job in Job 42:7-9:

7After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends; for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. 8Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly; for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” 9So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the LORD had told them; and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer.
The above passage suggests that the prayer of righteous Job was more acceptable to the LORD, more efficacious, than the prayers of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar or why involve Job at all?

Then ask them whether or not the saints in heaven, where there is no sin, are more righteous than people on earth?

 

[brb3]

Yes

James 5:16 'Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. **The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful.

**’

I take that verse to be referring to our living Christian brethen here on earth.

Jesus taught us to pray to the Father … as in the Lord’s Prayer. To pray for our own souls and souls of our fellowman.

Now, the Church has taught us to pray to the angels and saints as well. And, since Christ gave Peter the Keys and the authority to ‘bind and loose’ … I have no problems with this teaching. I think however the majority of our Prayer time should be to the Father, directed thru the name of our redeemer Christ … and always to Christ when we are confessing sins and need forgiveness. Prayers to Saints & Mary are for spiritual / physical assistance in helping us stay alert and avoid sin, or to ask them to carry our many requests to the Lord, or carry his Grace back to us.