Prayers of Saints before and after death

[tablecorner]

I have read the lives of St. Macarius the great (whom i like deeply as you can in my dp), St.Benedict, St.Anthony the great, Elder Paisios from the EOC etc .

Many would go to them and ask for their prayers and their prayers would be answered at will and often instantly while alive on earth.

Why is it that after they depart from their earthly life, and when we ask for their intercession, the prayers are no longer answered at will ( when they should be more efficacious because they are now closer to God and partaking in his divinity) ?

Would it be a stretch to say that God wanted those saints to be glorified more so that more people could be drawn to himself (God) at that time?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Why are you conflating “efficacious” with “answered at will?” It sounds like you’re saying a prayer isn’t answered unless the person gets exactly what was prayed for right away.

In any event, deceased saints’ prayers continue to be “answered at will “ if that’s the will of God.

 

[tablecorner]

oh yes that is true. i am mistaken and failed to think more specifically. Elder Paisios did pray for someone for a year before it came to fruition.

edit: efficacious means more effective?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

All sincere prayers are efficacious in that they build our relationship with God. When asking for a saint’s intercession, we also build our relationship with that saint by praying.

Getting what we request is not a good measure of whether a prayer is efficacious, unless of course we request to grow closer to our Lord or the saint.