Where in the Bible does it say to PRAY to God ALONE?

Question

Many people have stated that, in the Bible, it says to pray to God alone. I am familiar with the first commandment: "You shall not have other gods besides me (Ex 20: 3) and "you shall not bow down before them or worship them. (Ex 20: 5)."

This is why our prayer to the Saints in Heaven are not prayers of WORSHIP. They are prayers asking for their prayers on our behalf. Afterall, St. James said "The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful (5: 16). The saints in Heave are VERY righteous and we tell them our problems so they may pray for us.

Where in the Bible does it say to PRAY to God ONLY? Afterall, didn't Paul ask his followers to pray for him?

David - no one ever said that the Saints know everything. Only God is omniscient. But you assume that the Saints cannot hear us. Can you show me in the bible where it says the Saints in Heaven cannot hear us? Ecclesiastes tells us the dead know nothing, but "the dead" are those souls in eternal torment in Hell.

M&S - I never said that the Saints in Heaven are mediators. The catholic Church teaches that there is only one mediator - Jesus Christ. There is a BIG difference between mediation and intercession.

pwwatson - Paul asking his disciples to pray for him is the same as us asking those in heaven to pray for us.

Also, nice verse and Catholics DO pray to the Father. The Our Father is one of the prayers in the Catholic Mass. But that verse did not say to pray ONLY to the Father.

Tammy, rest assured that Catholics do not worship the Pope. You have been misinformed about this.

Muslimah - We ask the saints in Heaven and friends and family in this life to pray for us because it brings us comfort to know that others are praying for us. Catholics pray to God as well.

kait - the only new argument you bring up is that we do not need to pray to anyone other than God. True, it is not a necessity that we ask the saints in Heaven to pray for us, but since they are members of the body of Christ, they are more than willing to pray on our behalf.

Answer 1

They're having problems with the definition of prayer in particular this morning -- or rather, equating "prayer" with "worship" when the two are not the same. All worship involves prayer, but not all prayer is worship. Prayer is an entreaty, a humble request. While it's certainly true that all baptised believers have equal access to the throne of God and can approach with confidence, it is also true that the saints are IN that presence. I'd certainly want someone who is now where I hope to be for eternity interceding on my behalf.

Answer 2

That Jesus is divine is clean from verses like Colossians 2:19 (“For in him dwelleth each and all of the fulness of the Godhead actual.”), a million Timothy 3:sixteen (“God grow to be appear in the flesh”), and Revelation a million:8 and 22:13 with Isaiah 40 4:6 (Jesus reported, “i'm Alpha and Omega, the beginning up and the ending, saith the Lord, that's, and which grow to be, and that's to return, the Almighty”; Jehovah reported, “i'm the 1st, and that i'm the final; and beside me there is not any God.”) the situation with maximum coaching on the deity of Jesus Christ is that folk interpret it for the period of the “lens” of Trinitarianism. in assessment to guy, God is everywhere-modern-day, all-understanding, and all-helpful; subsequently, he's able to maintain a divine existence and a different human existence and yet nevertheless proceed to be indivisibly and actual One (Deuteronomy 4:6). “With adult adult males this is impossible; yet with God all issues are a threat” (Matthew 19:26). To sum it up, God the father is the only genuine God (John 17:a million, 3), and Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God the father, the only genuine God, appear in the flesh (a million Timothy 3:sixteen). To greater advantageous expound in this element, the Holy Spirit isn't yet another “individual” in an alleged “trinity,” yet quite is the Spirit of God the father, the only genuine God (Matthew 10:20). The Spirit of God is not greater a different “individual” than is the spirit of guy.

Answer 3

Paul asked his followers to pray FOR him, not TO him. Big difference.

I feel that praying to saints, or praying for saints to intercess on your behalf implies doubt in God. It's as if to say that if it's necessary for the saints to "put in a good word" for you or "appeal to God" on your behalf, that you for some reason believe that God can't handle all the earth's prayers at once. God can. Through God, all things are possible, including the processing of prayers.

Also, praying to saints puts them on the same level as God--I'm sure that they wouldn't want that, and nor does God. How do you know that these saints in heaven are praying--if they're already in heaven, can't they just go talk to God whenever they have a question? Schedule an appointment or something? Something to consider.

Answer 4

Yes, Paul asked his fellow believers (he didn't have followers - he witnessed / preached the gospel to others who followed Christ) to pray for him. He also prayed to the Lord for blessings and favor for his brothers and sisters in Christ who were serving the Lord. There is nothing wrong with praying for someone; in fact, we are encouraged to do so MANY times throughout scripture! It is perfectly acceptable to ask LIVING people to pray for us / with us.

Matthew 6:9 is where Jesus tells us how we should pray. The Lord's Prayer is the example that we should pray to God, for HIS will in any given situation, and for the strength to do His will.

1 Timothy 2:1-6 is one scripture where Paul instructs people how to pray / who to pray for. Verse 5 is where it specifically states that God is on one side and people are the other, and JESUS is between them to bring them together. So we are to pray to GOD, in the name of Jesus.

Also, the dead are not just the souls in Hell, because 1 Thes 4:16 tells us that the dead in Christ will rise first when He returns.

Answer 5

The Bible tells us that no man has ascended to heaven, except Jesus Christ. Hence, there are no saints in heaven. Neither can St. James make intercession for you from the grave. The fervent prayer of a righteous person refers to a follower of Christ, not the saints. If you are praying to the saints, Mary, or anyone other than God the Father, you are praying in vain.

When Paul asked his followers to pray FOR him, to whom do you think he expected them to pray, if it was not God the Father? And why would we need intercession from the saints, when Jesus Christ (who sits on the right hand of God) is our savior and our intercessor? Wake up, my friend.

Answer 6

Hebrews 4:16 tells us that we, believers here on earth, can "...approach the throne of grace with confidence..."

1 Timothy 2:5 declares, "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."

"Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them" (Hebrews 7:25).

Romans 8:26-27 describes the Holy Spirit interceding for us. With the 2nd and 3rd members of the Trinity already interceding for us before the Father in Heaven, what possible need could there be to have Mary or the saints interceding for us?

Catholics argue that praying to Mary and the saints is no different than asking someone here on earth to pray for you. Let us examine that claim. (1) The Apostle Paul asks other Christians to pray for him in Ephesians 6:19. Many Scriptures describe believers praying for one another (2 Corinthians 1:11; Ephesians 1:16; Philippians 1:19; 2 Timothy 1:3). The Bible nowhere mentions anyone asking for someone in Heaven to pray for them. The Bible nowhere describes anyone in Heaven praying for anyone on earth. (2) The Bible gives absolutely no indication that Mary or the saints can hear our prayers. Mary and the saints are not omniscient. Even glorified in Heaven, they are still finite beings with limitations. How could they possibly hear the prayers of millions of people? Whenever the Bible mentions praying to or speaking with the dead, it is in the context of sorcery, witchcraft, necromancy, and divination - activities the Bible strongly condemns (Leviticus 20:27; Deuteronomy 18:10-13).

God does not answer prayers based on who is praying. God answers prayers based on whether they are asked according to His will (1 John 5:14-15). There is absolutely no basis or need to pray to anyone other than God alone. There is no basis for asking those who are in Heaven to pray for us. Only God can hear our prayers. Only God can answer our prayers. No one in Heaven has any greater access to God's throne that we do through prayer (Hebrews 4:16).

Recommended Resource: The Gospel According to Rome: Comparing Catholic Tradition and The Word of God by James McCarthy.

Answer 7

well you can pick up some examples of the people in the bible who prayed to god alone. Prayer can be a community thing or a private thing. A good example is how Jesus spent time talking and prayer to God on the Mount of Olives while his disciples were asleep.
Read Matthe 6:6
'But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you'

Answer 8

I am a baptist and I was brought up to believe that you should pray to God only. I am to ask God for forgiveness myself and not through a priest. I completely respect anothers religion so I am not saying a certain way is the right way. I think when it comes down to it, we all pray to the same God regardless of our religion. Only God can judge me so I try my best not to judge others. I think it is wrong to worship someone like the Pope because he is not God. I understand if he is like the king of Catholics but he shouldnt be worshipped. But he should be respected like any other Priest, Father or Minister.

Answer 9

The Bible says there is only one mediator between man and God the man Christ Jesus.

If you pray to a saint or Mary to get to God then this would not be so.

There are many things in the Roman church that didn't come from the Bible.

Answer 10

Ultimately, it comes down to the fact that the Saints are not all knowing like God is and they cannot hear your prayers. Only God can so it's best to direct all praying to him. I know where you're coming at when you say your asking for their prayers on our behalf. That is fine but still only pray to God cause he's the only one that will hear you and only one that will help you.