[NYer]

How then can Mary obtain what only the individual can bring about for themselves - recieving the gift directly from Christ by believing and confessing.

Next time you have a problem, DO NOT ask anyone to say a prayer for you. "We can't do it. We're not God; it's impossible. It would be a blasphemous fairy tale", were we to say a prayer for you.

[Havoc]

It isn't about prayer, is it. It's about attempting to violate Bounds that God laid down and that cannot be violated. He said the bodily, not spiritually, dead can have nothing to do with the affairs of the bodily living here on earth. The old testament is full of condemnations to death for anyone who would attempt to communicate with the dead. That includes speaking to them if you don't understand what communicate means. And last time I checked, asking favors from or praying to people who are bodily dead requires you to speak. God was wise in His judgements and left no outs on this. That is why the Israelites knew better than to toy with God on it and the Bible records people being put to death for it. Saul among them.