Do you pray every day to the saints?

prodromos

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What from scripture would call us to pray to the saints?
"Pray" means "ask". Do you not ask others to pray for you?

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
James 6:16
 
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SalemsConcordance

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I am comforted that the Saints and Angels all pray for us and are with us, that they rejoice in the heavens when we repent, and are saddened with God when we turn to evil. When I remember by Gods grace, it helps me snap out of such sins of despair and sadness.

“Do not fear for we have with us our big brothers, the angels, who fight together with us. They are incomparably stronger than the demons. Strengthen yourselves, for the truth protects us.”
~Elder Ephraim of Arizona


Thank you for your answer.
2 Timothy 1:16-18 “May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me; he was not ashamed of my chains, [17] but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me eagerly and found me – may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day – and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus.” (cf. 4:19)

Onesiphorus was dead at this point. St Paul prays for him.

2 Maccabees 12:43-45 as well, although I know the "apocrypha" books were removed from the 1611 KJV print for printing costs at some point so this has been lost in the west.

In addition, Luke 1:27 Luke 1:47-55.

Not withstanding the books of the bible weren't decreed until 270AD, and not until 680AD to be ratified - this was all the while the Orthodox church was suffering martyrdom in torture and blood and defending Christ and His Church.

Unless you can find your church in the book of Acts (especially since St Paul didn't start his own parish after Damascus, God told him to find who were laid on of hands), I'd pray to find the truth of the matter, but this also isn't St Justin Martyrs to debate.

Forgive me if it sounds like I am being harsh.
 
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Lukaris

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Some writings that did not enter the Bible still contained certain truths that eventually became part of tradition. The book of Enoch is a clear example & was utilized by some early fathers ( St. Jude even quotes from in his epistle). Testimony of the intercession of saints & angels is given in the 39th chapter of Enoch. This testimony was given before the book of Revelation & is clearly matched by Revelation 8 ( especially Revelation 8:3). Anyway, see:


[Chapter 39]

1 [And it shall come to pass in those days that elect and holy children will descend from the 2 high heaven, and their seed will become one with the children of men. And in those days Enoch received books of zeal and wrath, and books of disquiet and expulsion.]

And mercy shall not be accorded to them, saith the Lord of Spirits.

3 And in those days a whirlwind carried me off from the earth,

And set me down at the end of the heavens.

4 And there I saw another vision, the dwelling-places of the holy,

And the resting-places of the righteous.

5 Here mine eyes saw their dwellings with His righteous angels,

And their resting-places with the holy.

And they petitioned and interceded and prayed for the children of men,

And righteousness flowed before them as water,

And mercy like dew upon the earth:

Thus it is amongst them for ever and ever.

6a And in that place mine eyes saw the Elect One of righteousness and of faith,

7a And I saw his dwelling-place under the wings of the Lord of Spirits.

6b And righteousness shall prevail in his days,

And the righteous and elect shall be without number before Him for ever and ever.

7b And all the righteous and elect before Him shall be strong as fiery lights,

And their mouth shall be full of blessing,

And their lips extol the name of the Lord of Spirits,

And righteousness before Him shall never fail,

[And uprightness shall never fail before Him.]

8 There I wished to dwell,

And my spirit longed for that dwelling-place:

And there heretofore hath been my portion,

For so has it been established concerning me before the Lord of Spirits.

9 In those days I praised and extolled the name of the Lord of Spirits with blessings and praises, because He hath destined me for blessing and glory according to the good pleasure of the Lord of 10 Spirits. For a long time my eyes regarded that place, and I blessed Him and praised Him, saying: 'Blessed is He, and may He be blessed from the beginning and for evermore. And before Him there is no ceasing. He knows before the world was created what is for ever and what will be from 12generation unto generation. Those who sleep not bless Thee: they stand before Thy glory and bless, praise, and extol, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Spirits: He filleth the earth with 13 spirits."' And here my eyes saw all those who sleep not: they stand before Him and bless and say: 'Blessed be Thou, and blessed be the name of the Lord for ever and ever.' And my face was changed; for I could no longer be


The Book of Enoch, Section II
 
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