Whence, btw, the doctrine that those in Heaven cannot even hear anything down on Earth?
Even when I was an Evangelical, I'd never even *heard* that one?
It seems the essence of the "less filling/tastes great" conflict is the idea that asking Saints to pray for you is akin to idolatry ("there is *one* who is able to save") vs. "man, the more people praying for me, the better" with tinged of "imputed righteousness" and " the prayers if a righteous man availeth much" (see also Ezekiel 14:14 "...even if these three stood before Me...")
Hear prayer or know what is going on? Only God is shown or described as able to hear from Heaven all prayer, while from what i recall the only 2-way communication btwn created beings from their respective realms required both to somehow be in the same location together.
That they cannot know of anything down on Earth cannot be denied with certainty, nor taught as certain. The only inferences we have of the elect in glory (and there is only one place for them after death: Lk. 23:43 [cf. 2Cor. 12:4; Rv. 2:7]; Phil 1:23; 2Cor. 5:8 [“we”]; Heb, 12:22,23; 1Cor. 15:51ff; 1Thess. 4:17) knowing anything down on Earth is "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." (Hebrews 12:1) This is the best text, though the witnesses can refers to testimonies to faith, and with being surrounded by them not being to literal (a heap as well as an altar were said to be witnesses in Genesis 31:44 and Joshua 22:27)
Then we have Moses and Elijah discussing the Lord's impended death, but which was prophesied. And rather than hearing or seeing what is going on, they could have been briefed by the Lord, and or by believers who just arrived in glory.
Then we have the martyred souls under the altar in Heaven asking the Lord how long before their blood would be avenged, which infers they know hoe events are unfolding but which they could know by martyred souls who just arrived in glory.
However, even if they had information (maybe watching the 700 club!), this is not the same thing as able to innumerable hear mental prayer . And even if they did, and even interceded, this simply does not mean believers are to prayer to them. The Holy Spirit of God only and often directs believers to look to and prayer to God/Christ, to whom they have direct access in the holy of holies by the sinless shed blood of the Lord Jesus.
" the prayers if a righteous man availeth much" (see also Ezekiel 14:14 "...even if these three stood before Me...")
Both of which are in the context of those on earth.