HIS OWN PRAYER, in JOHN 17, is so WONDERFUL and TRUE and ENLIGHTENING.
The disciples did not pray TO each other. They never prayed to mary or any other believer.
They were living IN UNION WITH Y'SHUA, abiding IN HIM, AS HE asked of ABBA YHWH.
[ see "IN UNION" many times in the NEW TESTAMENT - the ecclesia, believers WHO KNEW THEY WERE SAVED, with no doubts or fears or worries ]
THEY KNEW THEY WERE SAVED, in Y'SHUA,
while
they were still alive on earth, in prison even, in chains even,
tortured and persecuted by the religious leaders even.
THEY KNEW POSITIVELY and CERTAINLY they were SAVED ALREADY.
They never even had a thought to pray TO ONE ANOTHER, EVER.
and
why would they? THEY (and we[ecclesia born again TODAY on earth])
have DIRECT ACCESS TO ABBA YHWH ELOHIM [GOD] in Y'SHUA(JESUS).
DIRECT ACCESS. Already. TODAY.
"SEATED IN the heavenly places" and "LIVING AS ONE WITH Y'SHUA and with the FATHER"
(yes - perfectly; intimately; absolutely according to HIS OWN PRAYER in JOHN 17) we[ecclesia] ARE ONE WITH Y'SHUA and our HEAVENLY FATHER, when we live in HIM as HE SAYS.
no.... none of man's treadition even comes close..... but usually directly defies and opposes YHWH'S WORD.
So, read YHWH'S WORD (THE BIBLE), and TRUST HIM.
ASK HIM DIRECTLY.
HE ALREADY sent HIS OWN SON to die, and to be raised again never to die any more. (HE cannot be crucified again, every day, like some religions do and say).
Since GOD gave HIS OWN SON FOR US,
ASK HIM for the TRUTH.
not men.
"Why don't /didn't / the church fathers (so-called) KNOW ? "
Why did they often oppose SCRIPTURE?
It doesn't matter, does it ? (why they often opposed SCRIPTURE)
We [ecclesia] TODAY seek YHWH HIMSELF in line with SCRIPTURE. HIS WORD.
We [ecclesia] TODAY TRUST YHWH and Y'SHUA(JESUS).
YHWH(GOD) and Y'SHUA(JESUS) are FAITHFUL AND TRUE and HONEST.