Why dont you just Pray to God?

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The Hail Mary is Biblical It’s pulled straight from Scripture.
You never ask friends to pray for you?
We ask people in heaven to pray for us. Why shouldn’t they? They’re right there with God, right?

People in the Bible invoked those who had gone before them.
Look again.
And yes, do a search. This question gets asked at least twice a week.
 
I ask friends to pray because I know they can hear me. What Scriptural reason do I have to think that, say, a dead ancestor can hear me?
 
Sadly, this is but one of the many degradations of the faith that occurred, stemming from the free-for-all that was the reformation. It is also a sign of the arrogance that crept into the reform, as various leaders assumed to know more about the faith than those who were there - those to whom the faith was passed on in the first century and onward.

Just Google the Communion of Saints.
 
RedFan said:
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LilyM:
Of course one can and should pray to God directly, but it is unscriptural to say the faithful departed cannot hear our prayers
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Scriptural evidence that the dead pray for the living does not prove that the dead can HEAR the prayers of the living. Please point out the Scripture verse that proves the faithful departed can hear our prayers.
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Try Revelation 7:13-14:

'One of the elders (faithful departed soul) addressed me (John, very much still on earth and not yet departed) saying “Who are these …” I (John) said to him (the elder, faithful departed) “Sir, you are the one that knows …”

John, a living human, could see and hear, but more importantly speak to, a departed soul. The heavenly soul could see, hear and speak to John.

From scripture.
 
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LilyM said:
Try Revelation 7:13-14:

'One of the elders (faithful departed soul) addressed me (John, very much still on earth and not yet departed) saying “Who are these …” I (John) said to him (the elder, faithful departed) “Sir, you are the one that knows …”

John, a living human, could see and hear, but more importantly speak to, a departed soul. The heavenly soul could see, hear and speak to John.
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John has a divine revelation whereby he is in effect shown the mysteries of heaven while still alive. And from that extraordinary revelation, you jump to the conclusion that your and my prayers are heard by the dead? Wow.
 
1 Timothy 3:15. The Church is the “pillar and foundation of truth”. From the Church’s authority we get scripture, not the other way around. If I can believe in the scripture the Church gives then it only follows that I’ll believe the Church when it says I can pray to the saints.
 
RedFan said:
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LilyM:
Try Revelation 7:13-14:

'One of the elders (faithful departed soul) addressed me (John, very much still on earth and not yet departed) saying “Who are these …” I (John) said to him (the elder, faithful departed) “Sir, you are the one that knows …”

John, a living human, could see and hear, but more importantly speak to, a departed soul. The heavenly soul could see, hear and speak to John.
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John has a divine revelation whereby he is in effect shown the mysteries of heaven while still alive. And from that extraordinary revelation, you jump to the conclusion that your and my prayers are heard by the dead? Wow.
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You are saying John was shown a false vision? A delusion? A mere fantasy?
Thought he was talking to souls that don’t exist and that it is impossinle to communicate with?

So why believe any of the rest of Revelation? Why believe the world will end? Why should believe a final judgment take place? In fact why should Revelation be in the Bible at all?

If the best you can do is cast.doubt on the word of God - then double wow.
 
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LilyM said:
You are saying John was shown a false vision? A delusion? A mere fantasy?
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Not at all. He was chosen by God to be privileged with an encounter with heaven. And in the course of that encounter he had a dialogue with the departed. That doesn’t mean you and I can have our prayers heard by the departed. Now, if you get caught up in some seventh heaven and have the direct experience of speaking with the saints, God bless. Because FOR ALL THAT APPEARS IN SCRIPTURE, that’s what it’ll take to have your prayers heard by them.

Let’s keep out eye on the ball here. The issue is SCRIPTURAL PROOF that the dead can hear us. Stop trying to make it about anything else. Maybe they do hear you. But if you can prove it Scripturally, I’ll kiss your hand and give you a week to draw a crowd.
 
RedFan said:
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LilyM:
Of course one can and should pray to God directly, but it is unscriptural to say the faithful departed cannot hear our prayers
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Scriptural evidence that the dead pray for the living does not prove that the dead can HEAR the prayers of the living. Please point out the Scripture verse that proves the faithful departed can hear our prayers.
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Revelation 5:8 is about far more than the dead praying for the living.

It is elders in heaven offering the prayers of the saints to God. Not merely making their own prayers, but offering the prayers of others. And there is zero suggestion that the prayers they offer are only those of heavely beings. There is also zero suggestion that they do this in the manner of deaf or dumb beings who do not themselves hear the prayers of.others that they are.offering.

Now show me in scripture.where it says the citizens of heaven are deaf and dumb and blind in regards their fellow members of the Body of Christ on earth. Or any less capable of hearing prayer than they were on earth. Or that God who gives us the great gift and blessing of being able to ask each other for prayer snatches that gift away after death?
 
LilyM said:
Now show me in scripture.where it says the citizens of heaven are deaf and dumb and blind in regards their fellow members of the Body of Christ on earth. Or any less capable of hearing prayer than they were on earth. Or that God who gives us the great gift and blessing of being able to ask each other for prayer snatches that gift away after death?
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I can’t. Scripture is silent on these things – as it is on their converse (which is my whole point).
 
RedFan said:
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LilyM:
Now show me in scripture.where it says the citizens of heaven are deaf and dumb and blind in regards their fellow members of the Body of Christ on earth. Or any less capable of hearing prayer than they were on earth. Or that God who gives us the great gift and blessing of being able to ask each other for prayer snatches that gift away after death?
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I can’t. Scripture is silent on these things – as it is on their converse (which is my whole point).
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By that logic, since scripture is silent on the topic of the internet you shouldn’t use yours.

We can, and need to, apply reason to scripture y’know.

Reason tells us that internet is a tool of communication and certainly licitly used for non-sinful communication.

Reason also tells us that God, giver of all that is good, would never take back His blessings, including the blessing of praying with each other and asking the saints for prayers.
 
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God is God of the living He isn’t God of the Dead. Remember Jesus saying that ?
 
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Short answer, we are all part of the Communion of Saints.

Who is the Communion of Saints? All the faithful living, dead and in Purgatory, dead and in Heaven.

What function does the Communion of Saints perform?
We are the Body of the Church, the Body of Christ.
Jesus is the head.
Anyone in the Communion of Saints can pray for himself, or another. But note, those in Purgatory pray for those alive. The Saints in Heaven can intercede and present our prayer without all the white noise so to speak, to God.
 
We are urged to make petitions, prayers and supplications for all people- why should this no longer apply when someone enters the Kingdom?

If God is not offended that we intercede for others on earth (Deacon Bob, please pray for me), then why would He be offended when we continue to do so in Heaven (St. Monica, please pray for me)?
 
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I pray to God directly all the time.

When I’m done praying to Him Directly, I pray to my spiritual Mom, Mary, and my spiritual Dad, Joseph, and a whole bunch of my good saintly friends and mentors for their intercession, too. As Winnie the Pooh said, it’s so much friendlier with 2 (or more).

I don’t mean to be flip, but this idea that we can never ask any of our spiritual family or friends for help in praying and we must always only address God and only God is just another way of taking all of the joy and richness out of the practice of a faith, to me. We don’t worship saints or Mary, and asking for their intercession is similar to if I asked you to please pray for God with me for a particular intention, except that Mary and the saints carry more clout with the Almighty than us puny humans.

Jesus said whenever 2 or more were gathered in his name, he’d be there also. He didn’t say that the “2 or more” had to all be humans alive on earth at the time. The Church Triumphant are the folks in heaven, and they can and do pray for us, so why not ask them to please join in praying for my sincere request for such and such.
 
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The Truth of God and the response of a sinner aware of that Truth is why Catholics ask for prayers from Saints. Saints aren’t sinners We ask Saints to pray for us because we are aware of how unapproachable His Holiness is for us.

Peter was experiencing that Holiness in this passage
Luke 5
8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”
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Thank you all for your comments and answers, for those who said to search it I apologize I didn’t know how to and just saw the compose a topic button so Im sorry for being repetitive.
 
But from what I’m gathering the prayers are based on Revelations. It does not specifically state that it can, but the interpretation is that they can help. Whether it’s " accurate" or not by others I appreciate just knowing what verse your basing it off of.

Thank you.

I am a Christian by the way, I just am no longer Catholic after 20 years but alot of my family is …sadly after being Catholic for 20 years I still don’t know why I did the things I did ( such as the prayers). Which is why I am curious so that I can better understand my family. They identify as Catholic but , ill be honest, they do not attend any services except Christmas and do not live Godly loves so they do not have many answers on their own belief. I appreciate your answers !!
 
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