Should I pray to my deceased aunt?

[Diakoneo]

My aunt was a Roman Catholic, and last year she passed away. Now while I was at the funeral the priest told us all that, "She is your saint now, pray to her often, ask her for help, guidance... etc."

I was a little taken aback by this statement to say the least. I'm wondering what your views are as Baptists. I've certainly never heard this idea before (that we should pray to our deceased relatives) in a Baptist church. It seems to me that when one of our congregation passes on we consider them, "in glory" and just anticipate the day that we will see them again.

Should we pray to people who are passed away? Aunts, uncles, fathers, mothers, apostles, martyrs, pastors, deacons?

If not, why not?

 

[daveleau]

Pray to Jesus. Know that she is looking down on you, but also know that Christ is our intercessor. Pray to Him.
Rom 8:27 is a verse that people often take to mean that we are to pray to the dead, because they mistake the idea of saints as being the "S"aints we see in murals and statues. Saints in the Bible are fellow believers. If you believe, then you are a saint.

This is not a Protestant idea (praying to Saints (the dead ones in Heaven(supposedly))). We do not know who is in Heaven, and we often assume that we should pray to people who we think go to Heaven. The only people we are sure that are in Heaven are God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Assuming anyone else specifically is there is judging the salvation of others and we are directed not to do this specifically throughout the NT. That is only for God to do. I am not saying your aunt is not in Heaven, but only that God is the only one that knows for sure. If you pray to someone that is dead and they were not right with God and are in hell, then what is done with your prayers?

Jesus is our High Priest and our intercessor. Continue to pray to Him as is told in Scripture.

God bless you,
Dave

 

[Cright]

I was very close to my uncle who passed away many years ago. I 'talk' to him once in awhile.. maybe say something like "hope you can see this now" kind of statement when something good happens. I definatly would not call it prayer.. I'd call it talking to a dead person. What happens w/ those words I don't really know, but I do it... and I don't think it would offend God.
I also have prayed that he can hear me... not that God will change his ways for me.. but he does ask us to pray our requests.

..but to answer the OP's question... no we should not 'pray' to anyone other than God.

my $.02

Carina

 

[Gold Dragon]

I was very close to my uncle who passed away many years ago. I 'talk' to him once in awhile.. maybe say something like "hope you can see this now" kind of statement when something good happens.

I think that is exactly how Catholics would view prayer to saints and dead relatives. That is how I view prayer to God/Jesus. I talk to him as I would with anyone I have a close relationship with. Anytime, anywhere.

We have often converted prayer into a form of spiritual currency. That something "happens" to prayer after it leaves our mouths. Like it goes towards a spiritual bank account where it collects interest and returns back to us in the form of an answer of some sort. The more we pray or the better we pray or the more sincere our prayer, the higher our rate of return.

I see prayer the way I see communication in my marriage. If I don't talk to my wife or listen to her, our relationship will suffer. And in the same way, my relationship with God has suffered when I didn't pray. But when that relationship is strong because of prayer, God can use me in more and more awesome ways to bring about his kingdom here on earth.

Note: Catholics do believe that they can pray directly to God/Jesus and no human intercessors (dead or alive) are required.

 

[GreenEyedLady]

This is not a Protestant idea (praying to Saints (the dead ones in Heaven(supposedly))). We do not know who is in Heaven, and we often assume that we should pray to people who we think go to Heaven.

You know, this really creeped me out for a second. I thought to myself, what if that person who one is praying to is really NOT in heaven and the person who is praying does not realize this. That is kinda scary.

When I am at my daughters grave I tell the Lord my feelings and ask Him to tell her that I love her. There are some who have come up to me and said that they "talk" to my daughter all the time. That makes the hair on my neck stand up. I KNOW that Cheyenne is in heaven because of her age of innocence. But I still don't feel right just trying to talk to her and literally think that she is going to hear me. I guess in a way I feel that spitural warfare is rampant in my life and I am scared that if I did try to talk to her, it would not be her responding, but something else. I could not live with that. Some mothers that I talk to have said things like toys making noises and things are messed up in their house. That really freaks me out because the bible says, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Its not thier children, but somthing evil messing with them.
Anyway, That is how I feel about praying to any saint or any person who has died.
GEL

 

[Iollain]

You shouldn't pray to anyone but God, it is necromancy and God is against it. Your right GEL, if people start reaching out to the supernatural, they just may get an answer, which is not their loved ones.

 

[Cright]

I think that is exactly how Catholics would view prayer to saints and dead relatives. That is how I view prayer to God/Jesus. I talk to him as I would with anyone I have a close relationship with. Anytime, anywhere.

We have often converted prayer into a form of spiritual currency. That something "happens" to prayer after it leaves our mouths. Like it goes towards a spiritual bank account where it collects interest and returns back to us in the form of an answer of some sort. The more we pray or the better we pray or the more sincere our prayer, the higher our rate of return.

I see prayer the way I see communication in my marriage. If I don't talk to my wife or listen to her, our relationship will suffer. And in the same way, my relationship with God has suffered when I didn't pray. But when that relationship is strong because of prayer, God can use me in more and more awesome ways to bring about his kingdom here on earth.

Note: Catholics do believe that they can pray directly to God/Jesus and no human intercessors (dead or alive) are required.

Gold Dragon, I used that wording after reading this post, and somewhat in responce to it and the OP...

I am not saying your aunt is not in Heaven, but only that God is the only one that knows for sure. If you pray to someone that is dead and they were not right with God and are in hell, then what is done with your prayers?

I'm well aware of what Catholic's believe as I was one for 25+ years (even though I had a hard time believing what I was taught oftentimes)... that is one of the reasons that I was making the distinction that nothing "happens" when I say these words... I'll find out when I'm dead and gone if my uncle hears them.. in the mean time.. I'll say a few words.

kinda like this... If I go out somewhere w/ my sister, and I drop her off at home, and as she's walking away I say "Erin.. you are so forgetful" under my breath i'm talking to her.. even though may or may not hear me.. nothing "happens" w/ those words either..

... this is MUCH different than praying.. because when I pray.. it's more (imo) like having a conversation. I KNOW He hears me.. I make requests of Him, and give Him thanks... prayer is much more than uttering a few words to someone that may or maynot hear them.. for the sake of saying them.

God Bless,
Carina

 

[InnerPhyre]

My aunt was a Roman Catholic, and last year she passed away. Now while I was at the funeral the priest told us all that, "She is your saint now, pray to her often, ask her for help, guidance... etc."

I was a little taken aback by this statement to say the least. I'm wondering what your views are as Baptists. I've certainly never heard this idea before (that we should pray to our deceased relatives) in a Baptist church. It seems to me that when one of our congregation passes on we consider them, "in glory" and just anticipate the day that we will see them again.

Should we pray to people who are passed away? Aunts, uncles, fathers, mothers, apostles, martyrs, pastors, deacons?

If not, why not?

This priest is extremely wrong. EXTREMELY WRONG! No you should not pray to your aunt. It is permissable to pray FOR relatives who have passed away, but not TO them

 

[GreenEyedLady]

This priest is extremely wrong. EXTREMELY WRONG! No you should not pray to your aunt. It is permissable to pray FOR relatives who have passed away, but not TO them

you know,
I thought that sounded wierd. I was brought up in the Catholic church and at both my mother and fathers funeral, never once did the priest say, Pray to them often or anything even close to that.
I am sorry that I did not type out my feelings when I first read the OP.
I agree with InnerPhyre, this is NOT a typical RCC response in a funeral.

I am wondering if your heard the priest correctly Diakano?

 

[InnerPhyre]

you know,
I thought that sounded wierd. I was brought up in the Catholic church and at both my mother and fathers funeral, never once did the priest say, Pray to them often or anything even close to that.
I am sorry that I did not type out my feelings when I first read the OP.
I agree with InnerPhyre, this is NOT a typical RCC response in a funeral.

I am wondering if your heard the priest correctly Diakano?

Seriously.....if I heard a priest say this at a funeral, I'd be on the phone with my Bishop the next day.

 

[GreenEyedLady]

Seriously.....if I heard a priest say this at a funeral, I'd be on the phone with my Bishop the next day.

I believe you! Really, that is not taught in the RCC. What is taught in the RCC is that you can pray for them. This is unscriptural, but not nearly as unscriptural as praying to them.
I am going to post a question thread in GT Inner, I hope you can meet me there.
Thanks
GEL

 

[InnerPhyre]

Alright

 

[RED that's ME]

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[InnerPhyre]

Ok. Sorry. Thought that I was helping by clarifying the Catholic perspective. I'll go back to my hole now.

 

[Gold Dragon]

I'm well aware of what Catholic's believe as I was one for 25+ years (even though I had a hard time believing what I was taught oftentimes)... that is one of the reasons that I was making the distinction that nothing "happens" when I say these words... I'll find out when I'm dead and gone if my uncle hears them.. in the mean time.. I'll say a few words.

Thanks for that insight.

... this is MUCH different than praying.. because when I pray.. it's more (imo) like having a conversation. I KNOW He hears me.. I make requests of Him, and give Him thanks... prayer is much more than uttering a few words to someone that may or maynot hear them.. for the sake of saying them.

I would agree that there is a difference between talking to God and talking to a dead relative in their ability to respond. Although, I've never talked to a dead relative before because all my close loved ones are still alive.

From InnerPhyre's posts, it seems like I was wrong in my initial post about the similarity of praying to saints and dead relatives in the Catholic faith. I apologize for making that faulty comparison.

 

[ZiSunka]

My sister, a Catholic, has repeatedly told me to pray to my mother and that she prays to my mother. If it is not a catholic belief, where do Catholics get the idea that they should do it? There must be something driving this practice, especially if a priest is recommending it.

 

[ZiSunka]

Some people will suggest, "Why not tap into the spirit--world, get in touch with the dead?"
20Tell them, "No, we're going to study the Scriptures." People who try the other ways get nowhere--a dead end!

Isaiah 8:19-20

 

[P_G]

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