Again....the reference given is out of context to that of praying to departed saints while we are here on earth.
This is not like asking someone on earth to pray for you, since they are physically here to converse... What the Roman Catholic is doing is asking those who are ‘not’ physically here and are ‘unable’ to see or affect the affairs of mankind on earth to do what is attributed... to God only.
When we look in the Bible we find that prayer is directed to God alone. ....To set up a person as a recipient for our prayers, no matter how great they are is making them out to be deity. ....Asking a saint to help and guide or protect is something only God can do.
As someone once put it, why go to the branch office when you can go to the president..... There is NOT ONE one example of a Christian addressing prayers to Mary or saints, or those who are dead passing from our world.
The scriptures forbid attempting to contact the dead, yet the Catholic Church teaches people to do it.
(reference is from Let us reason)