Is Praying To Departed Saints A Biblical Practice?

• Introduction: 

          -The Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, certain Lutherans, and certain Anglicans believe that we can pray to and receive help from various saints (and even angels) in heaven. It is believed that God has enabled them to intercede on our behalf before Him for nearly every aspect of human life. This concept is indeed rather fanciful, relying more on tradition and emotional appeal than demonstrable fact or theological necessity.

• A Practice That Is Not Consistent With The Biblical Pattern Of Prayer:

          -Throughout Scripture, there are dozens of references to prayer (Psalm 25; 2 Samuel 7:18-29; 1 Kings 8; Matthew 6:6-14; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 11:1-4; John 14:14; John 17; Acts 7:51-58; Romans 10:1; 15:30; Colossians 3:16-17; James 1:5-6; etc.). Each recorded instance was directed to God alone. Further, the central theme of the biblical narrative is man trusting only in God (Psalm 23:1-2; Psalm 50:15; Psalm 71:1; Psalm 91:15; Joshua 1:1-6; Isaiah 48:17-18; Jeremiah 33:3; Matthew 6:25-34; John 16:23; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Ephesians 5:19-20; etc.). We have no examples in the Bible of people calling on entities other than Him, with the exception being pagans or idolaters. In the text, we never see God approving of the practice of praying to departed saints or angels. Therefore, the consistent application of biblical principles compels us to conclude that all prayer should be dedicated to God alone.

• Can Believers In Heaven Really Hear Us?:

          -It is important to recognize the inherent limitations of finite beings—limitations that make it impossible for them to simultaneously hear and comprehend the petitions of countless individuals across the globe, expressed in diverse languages and contexts. Such omnipresence and omniscience are unique characteristics of deity alone. By attributing this ability to saints and angels in heaven, one inevitably encroaches upon the uniqueness of God and diminishes the sufficiency of Christ's work of intercession. The very notion of finite beings being able to receive prayers undermines the biblical truth that God alone possesses the attributes necessary to fulfill this role. Furthermore, this premise dilutes the distinction between Creator and creation, a distinction central to the Christian understanding of divine worship and dependence. Notice that in Scripture, all occasions involving two-way communication between or among beings from heaven (with the exception being God) and earth required the creations to be in the same realm (i.e. earth on earth communication), rather than being in two separate realms (i.e. heaven to earth contact is never found in Scripture for created beings). This is perhaps the clearest indication that creatures in heaven are incapable of receiving prayers from earth.

• Unnecessary Assistance:

          -We do not need intervention from Mary or the saints in heaven, for Jesus Christ always intercedes for us before God. He is able to rescue sinners from eternal condemnation by Himself (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25). His intercession alone is sufficient to meet all our needs. Moreover, the Holy Spirit gives us the strength that we need during times of spiritual weakness. He also intercedes on our behalf before God (Romans 8:26). If two persons of the triune God intercede on our behalf in prayer, then what more could we possibly need? We can approach God with "boldness" and "confidence" as a result of Christ's atonement (Ephesians 3:12; Hebrews 4:14-16). Moreover, only God knows all of the thoughts and intentions of the human heart (1 Kings 8:37-39; 2 Chronicles 6:30). Consequently, praying to saints in heaven to grant our prayer requests is pointless because they do not have the same abilities that God Himself has.

          -"The church appears to have painted itself into a theological corner. In trying not to detract from Christ, its theologians have so defined the role of Mary as to make it entirely indispensable: everything we need we get from Christ. If that's the case, what is the point or importance of Mary's mediation? One the other hand, the oft-heard affirmation that Mary can influence her Son to help us necessarily implies that the Son otherwise would be less disposed to do so. In fact, the very concept of a mediator presupposes that there are differences that need to be reconciled between two parties. This leads to the inescapable conclusion that, apart from Mary's mediation, Christ himself would not be perfectly reconciled to us. All this seriously compromises the integrity of his high priesthood. The church is stuck in a hopeless dilemma wherein either Mary's role is rendered superfluous, or the all-sufficiency of Christ's mediation is diminished. In trying to avoid either of these perceived pitfalls, it has fallen headlong into both." (Elliot Miller and Kenneth R. Samples, The Cult of the Virgin: Catholic Mariology and the Apparitions of Mary, p. 56)

• A Distortion Of Worship And Covenant Relationship:

          -At its core, prayer is not merely a request for help—it is an act of worship, a declaration of dependence, and a sacred expression of covenantal intimacy between the believer and God. Throughout Scripture, prayer is consistently portrayed as a relational dialogue rooted in trust, reverence, and submission to the divine will. To redirect this act toward any created being, no matter how glorified, is to misplace the object of worship and distort the covenantal framework established by God. The first commandment—“You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3)—is not limited to idolatry in the form of statues or false religions. It encompasses any spiritual practice that shifts our dependence away from God alone. Praying to saints, even with the intent of seeking intercession, introduces a spiritual intermediary that Scripture neither prescribes nor permits.

          -The biblical model of worship is exclusive and uncompromising. God repeatedly warns against syncretism—the blending of true worship with unauthorized spiritual practices. The golden calf incident in Exodus 32 was not a rejection of Yahweh per se, but an attempt to worship Him through a man-made image. Similarly, prayers to saints may be framed as devotion to God, but they introduce unauthorized channels that compromise the purity of worship. The New Testament affirms that believers now have direct access to the Father through Christ (Hebrews 10:19–22), and any attempt to supplement that access with additional spiritual figures undermines the sufficiency of the gospel. In this light, the practice of praying to saints is not merely a theological misstep—it is a breach of the worship God demands and deserves.

• Why Accusations Of Prayers To Saints Being Necromancy Are Correct:

          -God expressly commanded the Israelites to avoid all forms of contact with the dead and the spiritual realm beyond His direct mediation. Passages such as Deuteronomy 18:9–14, Leviticus 19:31 and 20:27, and Isaiah 8:19 make it clear that consulting the dead, seeking messages from spirits, or engaging in any form of spiritual communication outside of God's ordained channels was strictly forbidden. These prohibitions were not merely cultural boundaries—they were theological safeguards against spiritual deception and idolatry. The Law condemned necromancy not only because it involved forbidden knowledge, but because it represented a breach in the covenantal relationship between God and His people.

          -What prayers to departed saints share with pagan invocations of the dead is the act of personal communication with those who have passed into the supernatural realm. Whether one seeks intercession, guidance, or comfort from a deceased figure, the underlying action remains the same: initiating contact with a spirit that is not God. This is precisely what Scripture forbids. While the Roman Catholic Church may argue that such prayers are not necromantic because they are directed toward glorified saints in heaven, the biblical standard does not make such distinctions. The Law does not differentiate between “holy” spirits and “unclean” ones—it simply forbids communication with the dead. Thus, those who pray to Mary or other saints, however well-intentioned, are engaging in a practice that mirrors condemned pagan rituals.

• Do Psalm 103:20-21 and Psalm 148:1-2 Support Prayers To Deceased People And Angels?:

          - The Psalmists are simply telling all creations in all places to praise God's name. Creation is a reflection of His glory. These passages do not in any way exhort us to honor or pray to beings other than the Lord. In Psalm 103:22, inanimate objects are told to praise God. In Psalm 148:3, the sun, moon, and the stars are also told to praise God. Should we also pray to these things?

• Does The Transfiguration Support Prayers To Deceased People, Since It Shows Jesus Speaking With Moses And Elijah?:

          -The point of the transfiguration was to show the preeminence of Jesus Christ. He was speaking to Moses and Elijah in His glory. These verses do not say anything in regard to prayer. Are there even any Catholics who offer prayers to Moses and Elijah?

• Does Luke 15:7-10 Support Prayers To Deceased People, Since It Says Angels In Heaven Rejoice Over The Conversion Of Sinners?:

          -Angels rejoicing over a conversion cannot simply translate into support for them receiving our prayer requests because they most probably know when a soul is added to the Book of Life. Even if saints and angels in heaven were conscious of events on earth, could hear prayers, and had the ability to pray for somebody on earth, it would not follow that we are justified in offering prayer petitions to entities other than God. Satan is without a doubt conscious of events taking place in this world, yet no Roman Catholic would ever suggest prayer to him.

• Does 2 Timothy 1:16-18 Offer Support For Praying To Mary And The Saints?:

          -Perhaps Onesiphorus was alive and simply away from home, so Paul had an urge to pray for his companion's family. What we can gather from this text beyond a reasonable doubt is that the two were not together at the time. One commentator says the following: "Knowing that even these good deeds could not save Onesiphorus and his house, the apostle asks the Lord to show mercy to his friend — to keep him in the grace of God that he might persevere until the very end." This makes perfect sense because Christians were persecuted during this time. A prayer for perseverance to the end would, by definition, mean that he was still alive. 

          -Even if Onesiphorus was dead at this point in time, that would only mean the apostle was petitioning God to show mercy to the man and his family on the Day of Judgment. After all, he was very beneficial to Paul during his ministry. He wanted his household to be blessed as a result of his faithfulness and loyalty. This scenario would be similar to King David blessing the household of Jonathon and his descendants (2 Samuel 9:1-7). Paul would essentially be expressing a hope for Onesiphorus to be resting in peace. These comments from English divine and scholar Edward Hayes Plumptre are insightful here: "It is, at any rate, clear that such a simple utterance of hope in prayer, like the Shalom (peace) of Jewish, and the Requiescat or Refrigerium of early Christian epitaphs, and the like prayers in early liturgies, though they sanction the natural outpouring of affectionate yearnings, are as far as possible from the full-blown Romish theory of purgatory."

          -Onesiphorus received complete forgiveness of sins at the moment of his conversion. If he was dead when Paul wrote 2 Timothy, then his fate was already sealed. No amount of prayers could possibly alter or help his eternal destiny. Paul was neither praying to him nor supporting the idea of anybody else doing such. He was not praying that Onesiphorus would be released from purgatory or anything in those lines.

• Does Hebrews 12:1 Support Prayer To The Saints, Since It Speaks Of Believers Being Surrounded By A Cloud Of Witnesses?:

          -The context of this passage relates to viewing the Old Testament saints as good moral examples. We are all united into a spiritual family by faith in Christ. There is nothing in that which would even remotely suggest prayer to these witnesses. People enter into the supernatural realm at the moment of physical death. So in that sense, believers on earth certainly are separated temporarily from those present in heaven.

• Do Revelation 5:8 And Revelation 8:3-4 Support Prayer To Saints, Since They Speak Of Them Offering The Prayers Of Saints To God?:

         -This simply means that God allowed saints in heaven to "hold" bowls of prayers. The text says nothing about prayers being directed to saints or angels in heaven, nor gives us permission to do so. The text does not indicate how these saints would be aware of our prayers. Bowls of wrath are mentioned in Revelation 16. Should we conclude that they were directed to the saints in heaven because they also carried them?