PRAYING TO MARY AND THE SAINTS?

[LoveGodsWord]

Hello brothers and sister.

First off and right to the point. I believe God has his people in EVERY CHURCH. However, I believe the time in coming and now is that REVELATION 18 teaches us that many of the Churches of today have fallen away from God's WORD and God is calling his people out to worship him in Spirit and in truth *JOHN 10:16; JOHN 4:23.

1. I am just wondering where did the practice of praying to Mary and the Saints come from and what are your thoughts about this practice, is it biblical or not?

2. Mystery of iniquity, the antichrist, Babylon the Great the mother of harlots, any thoughts?

3. Who are the daughter harlots of Babylon the Great REVELATION 17:1-5?

If we are not following God's WORD in truth can we follow God's WORD in the Spirit (see also REVELATION 17:1-5)?

Only after peaceful discussing please and sharing of your thoughts.

God bless all.

 

[EzekielsWheels]

I don't know as I'm not uppercase "c" Catholic but from what I understand in the Eastern Orthodox tradition this is like you or I asking each other to pray for each other. The issue is that Mary and the uppercase "s" Saints have fallen asleep and I would think trying to communicate with them would be akin to divination (would be interested in hearing why this is not the case actually). Also from what I understand people communicate with Mary because she is the Mother of God and has his "ear" so to speak or has special favor from him. On this point I would ask how doesn't this then diminish the love Jesus Christ has for us if we need to petition someone to petition him? It also appears to be putting another mediator between us and the Mediator and I think I 1 Timothy 2:5 speaks of the Lord as the "one mediator" so I just don't understand. I'm not trying to cast aspersions I just really don't understand (and of course my understanding of the position of those who venerate Mary and the Saints could be off as well). In sum I just feel like it cheapens our relationship with God.

 

[LoveGodsWord]

Hello brother Ezekiel, yes I believe God has his people in all Churches who sincerely love our Lord, and this thread is not about the people but only about following God and why some practices are carried out that do not seem to be in God's WORD. It seems that Protestants today held s different view from those of the reformation and are more inline with the teachings of Rome. The question is however, are we actually following God if we are going against his Word?

 

[“Paisios”]

“Those who have reposed in Christ are not dead. They are more alive than any of us have ever been. So we never refer to someone who has ceased living upon the earth who is a Christian as being dead. It is impossible if we were to take Christ at His word.” -Fr. Benedict Simpson (Eastern Orthodox)

It took me some time, but I don’t see any difference between asking my fellow parishioners in Church to pray for or asking the Saints to pray for me. I see it differently than divination, because when we ask them to pray for us, we are not summoning them back to this material world or trying to exert control over them, but trusting that they can hear us in the spiritual realm.

I wouldn’t say that we need them to mediate for us, any more than asking our still (earthly) living brothers and sisters to pray for us is requiring them to mediate for us - Christ is the only Mediator. But we are to pray for each other (James 5:16), and the idea of asking the Saints to pray for us goes back to the early Church, understanding that they are as alive as we are on the earth.

 

[LoveGodsWord]

“Those who have reposed in Christ are not dead. They are more alive than any of us have ever been. So we never refer to someone who has ceased living upon the earth who is a Christian as being dead. It is impossible if we were to take Christ at His word.” -Fr. Benedict Simpson (Eastern Orthodox)

It took me some time, but I don’t see any difference between asking my fellow parishioners in Church to pray for or asking the Saints to pray for me. I see it differently than divination, because when we ask them to pray for us, we are not summoning them back to this material world or trying to exert control over them, but trusting that they can hear us in the spiritual realm.

I wouldn’t say that we need them to mediate for us, any more than asking our still (earthly) living brothers and sisters to pray for us is requiring them to mediate for us - Christ is the only Mediator. But we are to pray for each other (James 5:16), and the idea of asking the Saints to pray for us goes back to the early Church, understanding that they are as alive as we are on the earth.

Hello brother Shoetoyou, nice to meet you. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Brother I am just wondering in your view if God's WORD says that there is one mediator who is JESUS why not go right to JESUS rather than Mary and the saints?

 

[HTacianas]

Hello brothers and sister.

First off and right to the point. I believe God has his people in EVERY CHURCH. Hoever, I believe the time in soming and now is that REVELATION 18 teaches us that many of the Churches of today have fallen away from God's WORD and God is calling his people out to worship him in Spirit and in truth *JOHN 10:16; JOHN 4:23.

1. I am just wondering where did the practice of praying to Mary and the Saints come from and what are your thoughts about this practice, is it biblical or not?

2. Mystery of iniquity, the antichrist, Babylon the Great the mother of harlots, any thoughts?

3. Who are the daughter harlots of Babylon the Great REVELATION 17:1-5?

If we are not following God's WORD in truth can we follow God's WORD in the Spirit (see also REVELATION 17:1-5)?

Only after peaceful discussing please and sharing of your thoughts.

God bless all.

When you say the " churches of today" have fallen away, which churches do you mean?

 

[“Paisios”]

Hello brother Shoetoyou, nice to meet you. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Brother I am just wondering in your view if God's WORD says that there is one mediator who is JESUS why not go right to JESUS rather than Mary and the saints?

It certainly is my view that Christ is the only mediator, and I do go to Him directly.

But Scripture tells us to pray for one another, and there are few Protestants who would not ask their friends and family to pray for them...I don’t see those in repose as any different than those here on earth, so do not feel badly asking them to pray for me as well.

 

[LoveGodsWord]

When you say the " churches of today" have fallen away, which churches do you mean?

Hello brother HTacianas, nice to see you again. Have you ever wondered why there is so many different denomination of Christianity in the world today and why they all have a different take on the Word of God?

 

[HTacianas]

Hello brother HTacianas, nice to see you again. Have you ever wondered why there is so many different denomination of Christianity in the world today and why they all have a different take on the Word of God?

I have never had to wonder why that is. It is because people have decided to go off on their own rather than believing the Church.

 

[1213]

...
1. I am just wondering where did the practice of praying to Mary and the Saints come from and what are your thoughts about this practice, is it biblical or not?....

I don’t know where did it come, but I know what Jesus said about praying. He told:

…pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly…
Matt. 6:6

According to Jesus, there is only one true God. So, it would be reasonable to pray only to Him, not to anyone else.

This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
John 17:3

 

[prodromos]

1. I am just wondering where did the practice of praying to Mary and the Saints come from and what are your thoughts about this practice, is it biblical or not?

It was born out of love for the Saints and their love for us.

 

[LoveGodsWord]

I have never had to wonder why that is. It is because people have decided to go off on their own rather than believing the Church.

In your view brother could not all Church's say the same thing? Who is the true Church?

 

[HTacianas]

In your view brother could not all Church's say the same thing? Who is the true Church?

The "true Church " is all those Churches founded by the apostles. They still exist, and they are now and always have been universal in their beliefs that modern groups reject.

 

[Not David]

The lady Theotokos is our Mother.

 

[FenderTL5]

Hello brother Shoetoyou, nice to meet you. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Brother I am just wondering in your view if God's WORD says that there is one mediator who is JESUS why not go right to JESUS rather than Mary and the saints?

There is one Mediator between God and man, the Incarnate Christ who became man, that we could be like Him. No one else has done that.

Intercessory prayer does not pretend nor suggest to ascribe the mediator role to our brothers & sisters on earth to whom we request prayer, nor the living Saints who are in His presence.
We merely ask that they pray for us.

 

[LoveGodsWord]

It certainly is my view that Christ is the only mediator, and I do go to Him directly.

But Scripture tells us to pray for one another, and there are few Protestants who would not ask their friends and family to pray for them...I don’t see those in repose as any different than those here on earth, so do not feel badly asking them to pray for me as well.

This is an interesting post brother thanks for sharing it. I guess it all comes down to are the scriptures speaking about Mary and the saints or family and friends? I am still unsure and do not understand why people are praying to Mary and the saints I guess. Thanks for sharing your thoughts though brother. Much appreciated.

God bless.

 

[LoveGodsWord]

The "true Church " is all those Churches founded by the apostles. They still exist, and they are now and always have been universal in their beliefs that modern groups reject.

Good points brother, but were they of one body and one faith? If so why is there so many different faiths and teachings today that are all different? Is it not because many have departed from God's WORD?

 

[Not David]

This is an interesting post brother thanks for sharing it. I guess it all comes down to are the scriptures speaking about Mary and the saints or family and friends? I am still unsure and do not understand why people are praying to Mary and the saints I guess. Thanks for sharing your thoughts though brother. Much appreciated.

God bless.

We prefer to say we ask for their intercession, in the same way we ask brothers and sisters to intercede for us by praying.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Hello brothers and sister.

First off and right to the point. I believe God has his people in EVERY CHURCH. Hoever, I believe the time in soming and now is that REVELATION 18 teaches us that many of the Churches of today have fallen away from God's WORD and God is calling his people out to worship him in Spirit and in truth *JOHN 10:16; JOHN 4:23.

1. I am just wondering where did the practice of praying to Mary and the Saints come from and what are your thoughts about this practice, is it biblical or not?

2. Mystery of iniquity, the antichrist, Babylon the Great the mother of harlots, any thoughts?

3. Who are the daughter harlots of Babylon the Great REVELATION 17:1-5?

If we are not following God's WORD in truth can we follow God's WORD in the Spirit (see also REVELATION 17:1-5)?

Only after peaceful discussing please and sharing of your thoughts.

God bless all.

1) It is not biblical it is dogma made from man.
November 1, 451: The Council of Chalcedon, the fourth ecumenical council, closes. The Chalcedonian Creed is issued, which re-asserts Jesus as True God and True Man and the dogma of the Virgin Mary as the Mother of God.

2) "Anti-Christ only shows up in scripture John's gospels. He speaks of anyone who does not believe in Christ is an antichrist. It is not a future world leader.
1 John 4:3
and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

3) Pre 70ad Jerusalem

 

[LoveGodsWord]

There is one Mediator between God and man, the Incarnate Christ who became man, that we could be like Him. No one else has done that.

Intercessory prayer does not pretend nor suggest to ascribe the mediator role to our brothers & sisters on earth to whom we request prayer, nor the living Saints who are in His presence.
We merely ask that they pray for us.

Hello brother Fender nice to meet you and welcome. Thanks very much for sharing your thoughts on the subject. If as you say JESUS is the only true mediator why bother at all praying to Mary and the saints?