Do you pray for the Dead?

anna ~ grace

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Apostolic Christians (Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Assyrian Church of the East) believe that our journey towards Christ does not end at death. Doctrines and analogies on what this looks like differ; but as we are all still One in Christ whether in the flesh or after this physical life is ended, we can still pray for each other along the way.

I pray for my younger brother, who ended his own life last year. I hope for God's mercy, and if my brother accepted God's mercy and help at the last moment, then my prayers can help him. All is not lost.

What I get from this is a deeper awareness of God's love for us, how His grace and mercy work outside of as well as within time, and how dear every single human soul is to Him.
 
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trophy33

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Sometimes I pray for my dead animals (because I feel I have some kind of authority/responsibility for them). I do not pray for dead people much, very rarely.

1) God is above my time so He hears my prayers and can do something about it in the past
2) I hope they are living in another realm, so I pray for them to be happy, in peace, living.
3) Its some kind of a psychological relief for me about the ones who left with a bad death, to whom I feel some guilt etc.

I pray for the living ones more.
 
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Shimshon

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If yes, then what is the purpose and where do you get it from?
Thanks for your time.
Are you referring to the mourners prayer, or sitting shiva? These are two Jewish traditions that involve prayers for the dead.

Here is a brief description of the two:
Judaism 101: Life, Death and Mourning

Though I should clarify, it's not the same as the way catholics pray for the dead.
 
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BNR32FAN

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If yes, then what is the purpose and where do you get it from?
Thanks for your time.

I pray and ask The Lord to have mercy on those I love when they die. The early church has always taught that prayers for the dead can be beneficial.
 
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I pray and ask The Lord to have mercy on those I love when they die. The early church has always taught that prayers for the dead can be beneficial.
Do the Holy Scriptures teach that prayers can be beneficial to the dead?
 
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mmksparbud

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My question was directed to Messianic Jews. Thanks for sharing though.


Can I ask a question?---What is the difference between a Christian and a Messianic Jew?
And how would either interpret this:

Mar_12:27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.
 
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BNR32FAN

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Do the Holy Scriptures teach that prayers can be beneficial to the dead?

Perhaps. Many believe that Onesiphorus was dead when Paul wrote 2 Timothy 1:16-18. It certainly can’t hurt to pray for them.
 
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Not David

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Can I ask a question?---What is the difference between a Christian and a Messianic Jew?
And how would either interpret this:

Mar_12:27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.
Messianic Jews are Christians but they focus more on Judaic theology and culture.
I believe it talks about how the soul is still existing after physical death.
 
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What do you think about these verses on 2 Maccabees?
After the battle Judas led his men to the town of Adullam. It was the day before the Sabbath, so they purified themselves according to Jewish custom and then observed the holy day. 39 By the following day it was urgent that they gather up the bodies of the men who had been killed in battle and bury them in their family tombs. But on each of the dead, hidden under their clothes, they found small images of the gods worshiped in Jamnia, which the Law forbids Jews to wear. Everyone then knew why these men had been killed. 41 So they praised the ways of the Lord, the just judge, who reveals what is hidden, 42 and they begged him that this sin might be completely blotted out. Then, Judas, that great man, urged the people to keep away from sin, because they had seen for themselves what had happened to those men who had sinned. 43 He also took up a collection from all his men, totaling about four pounds of silver, and sent it to Jerusalem to provide for a sin offering. Judas did this noble thing because he believed in the resurrection of the dead. 44 If he had not believed that the dead would be raised, it would have been foolish and useless to pray for them. 45 In his firm and devout conviction that all of God's faithful people would receive a wonderful reward, Judas made provision for a sin offering to set free from their sin those who had died.
 
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Are you referring to the mourners prayer, or sitting shiva? These are two Jewish traditions that involve prayers for the dead.

Here is a brief description of the two:
Judaism 101: Life, Death and Mourning

Though I should clarify, it's not the same as the way catholics pray for the dead.
I will disagree. THe Kaddish is a prayer of praise to God, and says nothing to or about the deceased. I have a growing list of those I say Kaddish in remembrance of their life and death.

Sitting shiva is all about the mourning process. Actually both traditions are about the mourning process.
 
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Shimshon

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THe Kaddish is a prayer of praise to God, and says nothing to or about the deceased.
Correct, yet the Kaddish is commonly known as a mourners prayer. And it's said that the reason mourners recite it for a year is to ensure the merit of the dead in the eyes of God. Because according to Jewish tradition the soul needs 12 months after death for purification. It's during the time the mourner is to pray the Kaddish, for these reasons. This is why it came to mind during the OP question.

Sitting shiva is all about the mourning process. Actually both traditions are about the mourning process.
Prayer services are held during shiva. Chabad gives this reason to consider.

The Talmud (Shabbat 152b) records that Rabbi Judah the Prince gathered a minyan to accompany him on a condolence visit to the house of one who died in the neighborhood and left no mourners. After shiva, Rabbi Judah saw the deceased in a dream and learned from him that he was comforted and set at ease because of the presence of the minyan.​

Which again implies the soul exists after death and our prayers of thanks to God offer comfort for the dead during that time of transition.
 
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What do you think about these verses on 2 Maccabees?
After the battle Judas led his men to the town of Adullam. It was the day before the Sabbath, so they purified themselves according to Jewish custom and then observed the holy day. 39 By the following day it was urgent that they gather up the bodies of the men who had been killed in battle and bury them in their family tombs. But on each of the dead, hidden under their clothes, they found small images of the gods worshiped in Jamnia, which the Law forbids Jews to wear. Everyone then knew why these men had been killed. 41 So they praised the ways of the Lord, the just judge, who reveals what is hidden, 42 and they begged him that this sin might be completely blotted out. Then, Judas, that great man, urged the people to keep away from sin, because they had seen for themselves what had happened to those men who had sinned. 43 He also took up a collection from all his men, totaling about four pounds of silver, and sent it to Jerusalem to provide for a sin offering. Judas did this noble thing because he believed in the resurrection of the dead. 44 If he had not believed that the dead would be raised, it would have been foolish and useless to pray for them. 45 In his firm and devout conviction that all of God's faithful people would receive a wonderful reward, Judas made provision for a sin offering to set free from their sin those who had died.

Most MJ do not accept the books of Maccabees to be scripture. They are not included in the Tanach but would be part of the Jewish Apocrypha and viewed in much the same way as Protestants view the Apocrypha. That said, there are MJ Catholics that would accept it, but they are in the minority.
 
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