Is praying to saints in the bible?

[Psalms62]

Exactly I was trying to see if it was supported within the bible, if it’s through tradition that’s fine but I just want the info as I don’t like blindly following anything and I want more info on my religion and Jesus

That’s the way it should be! Which is a good start and shows you take your faith and the teachings seriously. No one should be blind to our faith as to “not” be able to explain it to others. When we know and understand the faith then you have a path to grow on and can teach family and friends. I believe this is something to be proud of and shows your love for Christ.

Praying to the saints (as to not take away from the glory that God continually gives to His son) is a petition or needed help. As to ask someone (a saint) to pray and to ask them to go before “Christ” to strengthen your prayers. Those prayers “when heard” still give that glory back to the Father and Son!

John 17, Now they know that everything you gave me is from you,8 because the words you gave to me I have given to them, and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me.

9 I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, **because they are yours,**and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them.

11And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are.

 

[Dan_Defender]

I’m trying to recall, somewhere in the Old Testament there’s mention of someone- either a king, prophet or judge- who acts as an intercessor for Israel after they were said to have died.

I think you mean King Abimelech’s dream: ‘For [Abraham] is a prophet and he will pray for you, so you shall live.’ - Gen 20:7

 

[Thom18]

Thom18:

I’m trying to recall, somewhere in the Old Testament there’s mention of someone- either a king, prophet or judge- who acts as an intercessor for Israel after they were said to have died.

I think you mean King Abimelech’s dream: ‘For [Abraham] is a prophet and he will pray for you, so you shall live.’ - Gen 20:7

I’m actually thinking of something between the books of Samuel and Chronicles.

 

[Justin_Mary]

was praying to the saints something God ever says you can and should do? Does it ever say that saints can hear you? Does it say anywhere that you are allowed to pray to other people besides God? Thanks, if your answer can be simple as I am a beginner at this that would be appreciated.

Jesus said & did a great many things that weren’t written down.

I think it’s a dangerous attitude to believe everything we do must be explicitly spelled out in the bible.

Praying is not worship, something difficult for non-liturgical Christians to comprehend.

To me, the main thing to understand about the Saints is that they are not “dead” & they do God’s will by helping us in this life.

 

[Psalms62]

Praying is not worship, something difficult for non-liturgical Christians to comprehend.

To me, the main thing to understand about the Saints is that they are not “dead” & they do God’s will by helping us in this life.

Many people feel or make that connection that prayer is a form of worship. You say that that it is something difficult for “non-liturgical Christians to comprehend”. Somewhat agree and somewhat disagree. With the statement Jesus made when talking to the samaritan women, he said, " Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.22You people worship what you do not understand; we worship what we understand, because salvation is from the Jews.i23But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth;* and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him.24God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth.”j

I understood the passage as more internal than external form of worship. Still Mass ( attending mass) being the highest form of worship but, how do you rank prayer?

In order for prayer to be affective there must be a sense of “belief” and faith, Belief as Jesus said, " “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” Jesus makes it clear that it is not the volume of faith that makes impossible things happen, because faith “the size of a mustard seed”—very tiny—can accomplish the impossible. *Scripture Speaks:* Faith of a Mustard Seed

Prayer is the form of communication to God the Father. We have gain access through the son to make it possible to receive. Perhaps, the highest is attending mass as a community but on a personal note, prayer. The apostle had asked Jesus to teach them “how to pray” for an increase in faith:

Praying with Jesus​

Sustaining and nourishing that relationship requires personal contact with God. We must ponder in our hearts the mystery of his presence in our lives and discern his will for us. Such prayer is different from exuberant jubilation or loving intercession. Peaceful reflection on the mysteries of our faith is necessary for our growth in faith."

Make Prayer a Personal Time.

Praying With Scripture

 

[Justin_Mary]

I understood the passage as more internal than external form of worship. Still Mass ( attending mass) being the highest form of worship but, how do you rank prayer?

We worship, intercede, petition, & confess through prayer in the Mass. The Mass incorporates the sensual & the spiritual. All directed to the one true God.

We also petition the assistance of our brothers & sisters in this world & the next, also through prayer.

 

[Psalms62]

Agree, tremendously! But, as the article posted, Sustaining and nourishing that relationship requires personal contact with God.

We worship together as a community of believers, we draw strength from God in our worship at mass with the community as all in Christ (body of Christ), we pray for one another and we ask God to bring us together into fellowship but we receive the Holy Eurachrist which is the ultimate union.

Alll this reminds me of Pentecost. We speak (in sense) the same language of love. As in prayer, that union, that intimacy that is life sustaining.

To add, this fulfills the greatest commandment towards God the Father, Son and Spirit. Prayer and Worship on that note, to Love God and Neighbor.

Jesus answered, "The most important is: ‘The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, with your whole soul, with your whole mind and with your whole strength.’

“The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

The lawyer said to him, “Teacher, you have rightly and truly said, ‘There is one God and there is none other. Also to love him, with all one’s heart, and with all one’s understanding, and with all one’s strength, and to love one’s neighbor as one loves himself is far more than all whole-burnt offerings and sacrifices.’”

 

[steve-b]

I would be careful using Revelation to back up anything. The Church has no teaching on who the author is and the author says he received “visions”.

Revelation, AKA Apocalypse of John:
was written by John the apostle, at the end of his life.
It is part of the canon of scripture and has been listed as such going back to the Muratorian Canon ~170 a.d.

BTW

The canon was still in development at this time. IOW there was no “BIBLE” yet.

 

[OurLadyofSorrows]

John himself, a member of the Church and the Apostle Jesus loved, teaches he wrote Revelation. Have you read it?

 

[OurLadyofSorrows]

The author identifies as “John”. He says nothing about being an Apostle.

Have you read the Book of Revelation? Also the history of what happened to the remnant Christians post Temple destruction and the ensuing decades? John was exiled to a prison island.

This is really my favourite book of the Bible. Jesus himself is asking John, its author to write to the angels of the 7 churches. Meditate on that I do

John is known to fall into ecstasies, in them Jesus speaks to him. Imagine this, John followed Jesus as an Apostle. Jesus is crucified and John watches.Later John watches or hears of, the other Apostles become martyred. John is given the care of Mary , the Mother of God, at the foot of the Cross. They both witness Jesus Resurrected. John later, is exiled and put to hard labour on an island. He is an old man, Jesus comes to him and says, hey John, how are you, please write to my angels of my churches for me

 

[OurLadyofSorrows]

To the Op, When Jesus is Crucified, and Resurrected, there are many graves open and good and holy men of old come and speak with the people. These are saints of the Old Testament traditionally.

 

[Mhkc]

Imho, I pray to saints or venerables based on what thier life example of faith was like as it means to my specific state in life at time of prayer

 

[Justin_Mary]

I would be careful using Revelation to back up anything. The Church has no teaching on who the author is and the author says he received “visions”

Doesn’t matter who wrote it, the Church has declared it inspired & worthy for instruction.

We all believe St Paul & St Peter had visions, don’t we?