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Praying to Mary is a sin. Even Jesus didn’t hold her higher than anyone else.

4 Biblical Proofs for Prayers to Saints and for the Dead

Actually, the desperate extrapolative recourse such attempts must resort to are an argument against the very invention that can only wish was in Scripture, that of prayer to created beings in Heaven (PTCBIH).

1) Praying to Saints (i.e., Asking Them to Intercede): Rich Man and Lazarus

Zero "proof," let alone any support despite egregious extrapolation. No one here is on earth praying to someone in Heaven to intercede for them to God. Rather, both are in the same realm, as is the case with all two-way communication btwn created beings and those of Heaven, except God, and the rich man is asking Abraham to send Laz with water. And Abraham is not in Heaven anyway, yet.

2) Praying to Saints: Saul Petitions the Prophet Samuel After the Latter’s Death

Ditto. No one here is on earth praying to someone in Heaven to intercede for them to God. Rather, Samuel - if indeed it is him - is summoned into the earth realm by a witch, acting contrary to the word of God, and which is in order to get advice. The fact that Saul is so desperate that he must resort to a witch to engage in what is forbidden, and PTCBIH are so desperate that they must resort to this for support (and forget about "proof") leaves them both desperate in teaching contrary to the word of God!

The Apostle Paul Prayed for the Dead 2 Timothy 1:16-18 May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me

Desperation in deception #3. Paul is simply not praying to any created being in Heaven, and what he does express is more that of a desire, for Paul is not reticent to tell us when he prays, while it can only be presumed that Onesiphorus had died. Nor is this even support for RC Purgatory.

Jesus and Peter Simultaneously Prayed to Saints and for the Dead Tabitha was a disciple in Joppa who died. Peter prayed to her when he said “Tabitha, rise.” See Acts 9:36-41.Tabitha was a disciple in Joppa who died. Peter prayed to her when he said “Tabitha, rise.” See Acts 9:36-41. She was dead, and he was addressing her. There is no impenetrable wall between heaven and earth. This is not only praying to the dead, but for the dead, since the passage says that Peter “prayed” before addressing Tabitha first person. And he was praying for her to come back to life.

Which last ditch effort also fails, for once again, there simply is no praying to anyone in Heaven to intercede for them to God, or even to help the supplicant, for instead, as every believer did in prayers in Scripture, Peter prayed to God, and then commanded her to arise.

And no such desperation should be necessary for such a common Catholic practice, seeing there have always been plenty of created beings to pray to, and needful opportunities to do so or to give thanks to such, Yet there are ZERO examples of PTCBIH in Scripture, and despite there being over 200 prayers by believers in the Bible.

Yet Catholicism teaches their tradition (of men) of prayer to created beings in Heaven despite,

Over 200 prayers by believers recorded in Scripture by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit ;
Who therein only instructs and examples prayer to Heaven being addressed to God ;
Who in Scripture shows thst God alone is able to hear all prayer;
Who states therein that only God knows the hearts (and motives) of all the children of men - 2 Chronicles 6:30.
And who only records pagans making supplication to invisible heavenly beings who are as omniscient - Jeremiah 44:17.
And with communication with the departed only being prohibited or shown negatively;
And who presents Christ as the only heavenly mediator btwn God and man - 1 Timothy.
And who Himself cries out to the Father - Galatians 4:6.
"Prayer to Saints" is not restricted to just them, but angels as well, and basically boils down to (based on what we do read in the Bible),
- Presuming that believers are to engage in what only pagans are shown doing in making supplication to invisible created heavenly beings who can know hearts and minds.
- Presuming that this is what believers in Scripture did despite ZERO examples of such in Scripture, and despite there being over 200 prayers by believers in the Bible, and despite there plenty of created beings to pray to, and needful opportunities to do so or to give thanks to such, and despite this being a common Catholic practice;
- Presuming the Holy Spirit would neglect to record or not see as warranted recording this normal Catholic practice if indeed Biblical believers did so;
- Presuming to attribute uniquely Divine attributes to departed saints of knowing the hearts and minds of supplicants, and thus their motives, and the ability to hear multitudinous prayers to Heaven.
- Presuming to provide men as possessing the unique Divine power and privilege of being the only Heavenly being addressed in prayer to Heaven.
- Presuming with no actual evidence of sanction, and with contacting the departed only being prohibited or shown negatively, that earthly two-way communications in this realm must be able to continue btwn those on earth and in Heaven, while IIRC two-way communications in Scripture required both beings from their respective realms to somehow be in the same realm and conversing by words, not mental thoughts.
- Presuming the Holy Spirit would present Christ as the only heavenly mediator btwn God and man - (1 Timothy 2:5 - and elaborate in priestly functions (in the book of Hebrews) yet not once mention that created beings function as mediators.
- Presuming that while believers, being priests, have boldness to enter the holy of holies in Heaven through the blood of Jesus Christ, (Heb. 10:19) for by Him they have access by His Spirit to the Father, (Eph. 2:18) yet they should regularly present their requests to secretaries instead of directly to God.
PTCBIH is simply unholy presumption, and an insult to God and His Holy Spirit, and contrary to what He does teach on prayer to Heaven.