In your opinion.
Do parents watch over their children or is it your opinion that that is left to God also?
Why would saints have a reason to pray if they are already in heaven?
"And another angel came, and stood before the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given to him much incense, that he should offer of the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar, which is before the throne of God. And the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the saints ascended up before God from the hand of the angel." Apocalypse 8:3-4
“Do parents watch over their children or is it your opinion that that is left to God also?”
Parents who are here on Earth can certainly do so. Parents up in heaven, who are not omnipresent or omniscient, and therefore incapable of hearing every prayer on Earth, certainly cannot.
I understand this offering to be all the prayers of all of God’s people (saints) from all of time - i.e. the prayers of David, made while he lived, would be part of this offering.
There is another thing that puzzles me - if we are transported to heaven at death, and if there are no tears in heaven - how can those in heaven watch what happens on earth? Surely some of their loved ones make some choices that would cause sorrow.
And if we do go directly to heaven, then who are the “dead in Christ” mentioned in 1 Thes 4:16?
I’m not pretending to have the answers - but these are questions that I have.
Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem;
Creatorem caeli et terrae.
Et in Jesum Christum,
Filium eius unicum, Dominum nostrum;
qui conceptus est
de Spiritu Sancto,
natus ex Maria virgine;
passus sub Pontio Pilato,
crucifixus, mortuus, et sepultus;
descendit ad inferos;
tertia die resurrexit a mortuis;
ascendit ad caelos;
sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis;
inde venturus est
iudicare vivos et mortuos.
Credo in Spiritum Sanctum;
sanctam ecclesiam catholicam;
sanctorum communionem;
remissionem peccatorum;
carnis resurrectionem;
vitam aeternam. Amen.
In English:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ,
his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived
by the power of the Holy Spirit,
and born of the Virgin Mary,
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
he will come again
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen