You don't. OTOH, just as you have probably asked a friend to pray for you, there is nothing wrong with asking a saint to do the same thing. The saints are closer to God since they stand in His presence, unlike your friend on earth. In both instances, their prayers are offered up to God.
Gee, I thought God was omnipresent!
You make Him sound like this:
1 Kings 17:26 And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped round the altar that they had made. 27 And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.”
“The saints are closer to God since they stand in His presence, unlike your friend on earth.”
God is present WITHIN every Christian on earth. It doesn’t get any closer than that.
The ignorance of the scriptures and Christianity by Catholics (at any level) is astounding...I just shake my head when a Catholic tries to expound on the scriptures...
As Christians, our prayers do not go to heaven...Not in this dispensation, anyway...And you don't even know why...
1Jn 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
That's how God knows even the thoughts of every Christian...I and every Christian is closer to God than any supposed Saint in heaven...
This is not a great mystery since it's revealed thru-out the New Testament...If Catholics have read the scriptures, they know this stuff is in there...The problem is unbelief...
None of my DEAD friends get asked very much these days.