Tradition.
Here's what I've got out of what folks are saying about God and praying to saints.
1. The saints are not omniscient or omnipresent.
2. They pray to the Saint.
3. God hears the prayer and lets them know that someone's praying to them to have them pray to Him for them.
4. They then pray to Him.
5. God answers their prayer (in some manner.)
Since God is telling the saint to pray to Him, anyway, why not just pray to God in the first place?
Cut out the middleman.
Tradition.
It would break tradition. And how did the tradition develop? My guess is it was a part of the same mentality as those who gathered Polycarp's bones and counted them "more precious than the richest jewels and more tried than gold."
They loved and admired their leader and so carefully gathered his bones. Doesn't mean that they prayed to him. But they did honor him.
It didn't take long though before people were praying to Saints in Heaven (as opposed to the Saints on earth as there is no distinction amongst Christians, St. Xzins).
It would be interesting to trace that development. I'm sure someone somewhere has done their thesis on it!
Cut out the middleman.
= = = =
INDEED!
PARTICULARLY since that's, in a very real and important sense, what Christ died, to do.
Would you pray for me?