That's good keep it up! Contrary to what some believe, the Church actually encourages her members to think for themselves, and consider issues carefully. Not just blindly accept everything without careful thought.
So as you continue to do so, keep this thought in mind: It is written that the prayers of the righteous "availeth much". Now consider: who could possibly be more "righteous" than those in heaven already? This is truly why their intercessory prayer is so highly prized.
Truly the only question one should consider in this issue is, whether of not it's possible for those in heaven to "hear" the prayers of those on earth. All the other objections ultimately point to and are related to this question.
God bless! And I'll pray that all the Saints pray for you as well!
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What part of ONE don’t you understand? Jesus is our mediator - not anyone else.
1 Timothy 2:5
King James Version (KJV)
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus
That’s a wonderful reflection you have contributed. Remember in the Scriptures where it describes the Transfiguration of Jesus to Peter, John and James (Luke 9)? I believe that Moses and Elijah (who had already passed on) appeared at that time as well and were talking with Jesus. They were talking about the Exodus that Jesus was going to undertake in Jerusalem. Certainly there is communication going on in heaven as well. What do you think? Why wouldn’t such great and holy men be interceding for us now...we all definitely need it these days.
“..who could possibly be more righteous than those in heaven already? ...”
Bravo - some of the best logic based on scripture that I’ve heard yet about why it’s fine to ask for the saints’ intercession!! Beautiful.
To All: consider: Jeremiah Chapter Fifteen, Verse 1:
Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be before these people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth.
The Lord told Jeremiah that even if Moses and Samuel (departed saints who are alive in God) were standing in front of him, (to change his mind) it wouldn’t change his mind because the Jews were beyond it at this point in history.
Clearly the way this is written the LORD already assumes there is no problem in Jeremiah asking Moses and Samuel to stand before him to try to intercede for Israel. In fact, the Lord expects that Jeremiah will try this as a matter of course. He is warning that it wouldn’t work, not because they are departed, but because Israel’s transgressions were too far gone.
This verse clearly shows that there is nothing wrong with Jeremiah attempting to procure Samuel and Moses’ intercession, the Lord himself gives this permission to Jeremiah at the outset. There is NOTHING wrong with the process of Jeremiah asking for this intercession - it doesn’t have the proper result because Israel had turned too far away from the Lord at that time.
Born again believers are already seated in heaven with Him, spiritually..
Ephesians 2:4-7 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Prayer is answered when prayed in accordance to God's will, not because of hos *righteous* someone appears to be.
1 John 5:14-15 14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.