Intercessory prayer Obligation?

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If asking others to pray for you an Obligation? Does it glorify JESUS more because people share in his mediatorship or is He just as glorified without it because He is already perfect and GOD. Also since it helps does that make it a sin not to ask for prayers?
Thanks

GOD bless!
 
Friendship with God should not be cast in terms of obligations.

Think if Jesus showed up at your home and you refused or were disinclined to talk with the many friends He brought along.

He is our Great Friend, in fact, Our Father God.

We should have a very “family spirit” in all our relations with Hm. A crowded and lively “family room” filled with saints and souls and angels and of course with God Himself!

An abundance of goodness is offered to us, not a set of obligations we bargain over or pick and choose from.

We should see a close relationship with God and all of His children/friends.

Who wouldn’t ask for help from the friends of God? They can help us so much. We should pester them for help.

We should also ask for the help from Our Guardian Angel…who God gave each of us.

Wouldn’t you be hoping that your friends “take you up” on the help you offer them?
 
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If asking others to pray for you an Obligation?
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No
Does it glorify JESUS more because people share in his mediatorship or is He just as glorified without it because He is already perfect and GOD.
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Jesus isn’t a “mediator”, He is God. You’re praying directly to him.

This also has nothing to with “glorifying” Him. He’s already in glory, He’s perfect, He’s God. If you want to glorify God, you just say “All praise and Glory to God” or you live in a righteous way so your life gives glory to God by your actions.
Also since it helps does that make it a sin not to ask for prayers?
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Not necessarily a sin; would only be a sin if the reason you were not asking is that you were overly proud and saying “I don’t need anyone else’s help!” The sin would be your pride, not the fact that you didn’t ask for prayers.

Whether sin or not, it’s pretty stupid to not ask for help when it’s readily available from Mary, the saints, etc.
If your car broke down and you had to push it a few blocks to a gas station, and you saw some strong people standing around who were willing to help, would you tell them, “Thanks but no thanks, I can push the car myself” or would you let them help you and get the car there quicker and easier?
 
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The car analogy makes sense, thank you. I guess pride can get in the way sometimes but it really shouldn’t.

Though what you said about JESUS confuses me a little.
Isn’t He the “one mediator between GOD and man: the man JESUS CHRIST.”

Also if He is already in glory so it isn’t about glorifying Him, how does praising Him do anything if He is already in perfect glory? Isn’t He in perfect glory but still able to be glorified (I assume your answer is yes based off your doxology prayer).

Thanks for your answers!

GOD bless!
 
Gmsod said:
Though what you said about JESUS confuses me a little.

Isn’t He the “one mediator between GOD and man: the man JESUS CHRIST.”

Also if He is already in glory so it isn’t about glorifying Him, how does praising Him do anything if He is already in perfect glory? Isn’t He in perfect glory but still able to be glorified (I assume your answer is yes based off your doxology prayer).
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You seem to be embracing the Protestant concept of “Jesus as mediator” based on 1 Timothy 2:5. Rather than me trying to write a long thing, let me just refer you to the long thing a Catholic Answers apologist already wrote about “lesser and subordinate mediators”.


This discusses Jesus as the mediator for connecting humans to God’s grace, in the sense that he reconciled sinful humans to God the Father. However, I think it’s important to note that when it comes to intercessory prayer, as in asking God to help us, Jesus is not somehow grabbing our prayer and mediating it up to Father God who’s going to do the actual helping. Jesus IS GOD, so if I pray to Jesus, he’s not taking the request to a “higher authority”. He’s dealing with it right then and there.

As for “how does praising Him do anything”, to “Glorify God” means to give Him praise and worship. It’s us paying homage to God. It’s a gesture of love and respect and serving Him on our part. It does not “Do Anything” for God. It doesn’t somehow make God greater that we do this. It’s basically us fulfilling a duty to God, doing what we should do as good human children. If you have a really awesome dad and he’s a wonderful person and you bring him a big cake and present and birthday card that says “Best Dad Ever” on his birthday, then you doing that does not make your dad a better dad, he’s already great…but it means you acknowledged that fact and did what a good child would do, which likely makes your dad happy. Not greater, happier.
 
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