can saints hear our prayers bible verse

Let him sing praise. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything,but in everything by prayer and supplicationwith thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Is anyone cheerful? Since the Ascension of Christ, when Jesus took the Old Testament saints from sheol to heaven, large numbers of humans saints have also been in heaven, and Revelation indicates they also present our prayers to God: And when he [the Lamb] had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints (Revelation 5:8). The bottom line is that Gods knowledge of the interior thoughts of men is not the kind of knowledge that belongs to omniscience alone. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. A Psalm of David, the servant of the. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. F Answer Praying to the dead is strictly forbidden in the Bible. To the choirmaster. Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. by Matt Slick | Jun 10, 2016 | Roman Catholicism. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will. However, a person who says this only digs the hole deeper for himself since this would mean that those in heaven are aware of prayers which werent even directed to them! Until now you have asked nothing in my name. However, the question reveals a false assumption on the part of the people asking the question. They are not omnipresent like God is. Thus it follows that through these images, which we kiss and before which we kneel and uncover our heads, we are adoring Christ and venerating the saints whose likenesses these images bear (Council of Trent, Session XXV, Decree 2). The Old Testament story in Daniel 2 involving Joseph and his interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzars dream is one example. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses., Luke 11:9-13 ESV And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. It is a symbolic reminder that God remembers the prayers of His people. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. We should not argue from what we dont know. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. Since Revelation 5:8 does not tell us exactly whats going on, the Roman Catholic Church should not read into it very much at all lest they exceed what is written (1 Corinthians 4:6) and violate biblical truth. This is the teaching of the creeds (Apostles Creed: I believe in one God; Nicene Creed: We believe in one God) and the catechisms (Baltimore Catechism, question 199: By the first commandment we are commanded to offer to God alone the supreme worship that is due him) and the Church councils (Nicaea, in 325; Rome in 382; Toledo in 675; Lateran IV in 1215; Lyons in 1274; Florence in 1442; Trent from 1545-1563; Vatican I from 1869-1870). "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life," Jesus said. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0839/__P12O.HTM. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will! (Psalm 103:20-21, RSV, as below). This is especially true given the saints vision of the divine essence, which provides them with an improved perspective on how God perfectly orders things to his glory. In other words, he has this knowledge by virtue of being God, the uncaused Creator and sustainer of all being, including the thoughts of men. Furthermore, all of the so-called Roman Catholic Saints are creatures. And you returned and wept before the Lord, but the Lord did not listen to your voice or give ear to you. A) The rich man in Jesus' story (known in tradition as "Dives") asks Abraham to intercede, making two requests: a) relief from his suffering in the "bad" part of Hades / Sheol (Lk 16:24), and 2) to. To you we cry, the children of Eve; to you we send up our sighs, And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, Come over to Macedonia and help us. And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. Therefore, should we conclude that there is life on other planets? If Pauls knowledge of such glory without the beatific vision could diminish sadness caused by his sufferings, then how much more would the saints knowledge of this glory with the beatific vision diminish sadness? And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. A third objection is that there is only one mediator with the Father, Jesus Christ. Your email address will not be published. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Box 1353 |Nampa, ID 83653 USA1-800-803-8093. The reason we pray to the saints is that they are still members of the Body of Christ. Publisher: OpenBible.info. God considers prayer-at-large as incensea sweet aroma to Him. First, they are spirits, not flesh and blood. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Since the Bible says that contacting in the dead is the abominable sin of necromancy (Deut. O The Bible consistently teaches that we should pray only to God, doing so in the name of Jesus Christ. Because they are alive, we believe that we can go to them to intercede for us with God. Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me! But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil., And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Bible verses about Praying To Saints. We can undoubtedly pray for our Christian brothers and sisters on earth and intercede for them, and we are encouraged to do so: "Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. Additional proof that Catholics worship the saints is that they make statues of them, in violation of the next commandment: You shall not make for yourself an idol or any image which is in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters which are under the earth; you shall not bow down and serve them because I am the Lord your God (Ex. It sets the scriptures as the guide that should not be exceeded. No one enters suit justly; no one goes to law honestly; they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies, they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity. It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. The Catholic Church always has taught that a Christian can worship only God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come. If you love me, you will keep my commandments. U And behold, there came a voice to him and said, What are you doing here, Elijah?. Romans 8:26-7 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. Notice how Aquinas articulates the difference between how God knows the thoughts of men and how the saints in heaven know the thoughts of men. Catholic ones would interpret it in favor of Mary being able to hear our prayers. Even though the Church doesnt claim God ordinarily gives the saints in heaven the ability to know the thoughts of every living person, its not impossible for God to do so. From this it follows that God can communicate this kind of knowledge to rational creatures. Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. In any event, we know that the saints in heaven (whether human saints or angel saints) are aware of our prayers and, based on them, intercede with God on our behalf. James 5:13-15 Is anyone among you suffering? And if so, then it follows God couldnt communicate this sort of knowledge to a created intellect.. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, Be taken up and thrown into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. The only place where spirits of perfected righteous people can dwell is heaven. This is such a beautiful plea that we will spend today's lesson focusing on it (you may want to reread verses 1-3 now). It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters. P 2:5). The Church also allows one to make statues to remind a person of Christ or the saint: Further, the images of Christ, of the Virgin Mother of God, and of the other saints are to be kept with honor in places of worship especially; and to them due honor and veneration is to be paidnot because it is believed that there is any divinity or power intrinsic to them for which they are reverenced, nor because it is from them that something is sought, nor that a blind trust is to be attached to images as it once was by the Gentiles who placed their hope in idols (Ps. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. Second, the reason that Christians have the power to pray for one another is that each person who is baptized is made a member of the Body of Christ by virtue of the Holy Spirits action in baptism (1 Cor. John DamascenesApologetic Sermons Against Those Who Reject Sacred Imagesgives an authentic presentation of the Catholic attitude towards statues and pictures of Mary and the saints: If we were making images of men and thought them gods and adored them as gods, certainly we would be impious. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. There is nothing in the Bible that says that Mary can simultaneously hear the prayers of people all over the world, in different languages, spoken, and thought, an attribute that God possesses. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. A Psalm of David. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Karlo Broussard 7/16/2019 Listen to the audio version of this content Several Catholic Answers writers, including myself, have responded to Protestants who challenge the Catholic practice of asking the saints in heaven to intercede for us. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, a man, Jesus Christ, who has given himself as a ransom for all, the testimony in its own time (1 Tim. When we pray in our own words, we are saying something personal to our heavenly Father. W R Z. New Living Translation And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch. If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. M Eph. P2: If the saints knew our sufferings, then the saints would be sad. So, the Roman Catholic church is stretching the verse beyond its intent and not being logical in its examination. Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle, Cumbria: W.B. Samuel was not pleased about returning his attentions to earth. As Scripture indicates, those in heaven are aware of the prayers of those on earth. Mark 11:22-25 ESV / 4 helpful votesHelpfulNot Helpful. Its not because the saints arent aware of our prayers. We often hear how Mary can hear our prayers and even answer them. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. They have four main criticisms of the custom, all of which they push forward vigorously. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Because the light that God gives the created intellect is created, its not infinite by nature, nor does it require infinite power to comprehend or act upon. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. Let there not be found among you one who makes his son or his daughter pass through fire, a diviner of divinations, an occultist, a charmer, an enchanter, one who casts spells, or one who questions mediums or familiar spirits, or one who seeks the dead (Deut. Thank you for your interest in supporting CARM. The Bible encourages Christians to approach the saints in heaven, just as they approach God the Father and Jesus Christ the Lord: But you have approached Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and myriads of angels, and the assembly and church of the firstborn who have been enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and spirits of righteous ones who have been made perfect, and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood which speaks better than that of Abel (Heb. Wiersbe, Warren W. Wiersbes Expository Outlines on the New Testament. I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. ( John 14:6, Catholic Jerusalem Bible) Those unambiguous words harmonize with Jesus' teaching recorded at Matthew 6:9-13. TheBaltimore Catechismexplains the seriousness of the sin of superstition: Superstition is by its nature a mortal sin, but it may be venial either when the matter is slight or when there is a lack of full consent to the act (question 212). Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Roman Catholics all over the world offer prayers to Mary regularly and expect her to hear them and intercede for them with God and Jesus. The second objection in the article says the saints dont know our prayers because such knowledge would undermine their happiness. They are aware of our petitions and present them to God by interceding for us.7http://www.catholic.com/tracts/praying-to-the-saints. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 1 John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. D For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. (This was the heresy of monophysitism.) Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. The fact that these are prayers "of the saints" in Revelation 5:8 indicates that God hears the prayers of His people. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses., And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 1. I The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. . John sees twenty-four elders, along with the four living creatures, prostrating themselves before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. If they are offering the prayers of the Christians on earth, then its reasonable to infer that they had knowledge of those prayers. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way, walk in it, when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. God's Ears Are Open To Your Prayers. Protestants dont use his exact arguments, but they could. Our Lord "hears the prayer of the righteous" ( Proverbs 15:29 ), which is another way of saying . Heres one way to put the argument: P1: If the saints knew our prayers, then they would know our sufferings. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. This created light of glory demands infinite power inasmuch as infinite power is needed to create and give it to the human or angelic intellect. by Matt Slick | Mar 23, 2022 | Roman Catholicism, World Religions. It claims the saints cant possibly know our prayers because if they did, they would respond to our requests for intercession, and we wouldnt have suffering in our lives. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 12:11-13). We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe. It is because the Christian belongs to Jesus Christ and is a member of his Body, the Church, that we can make effective prayer. We greatly appreciate your consideration! Pope Dionysius condemned the division of the one God into three gods, for there can be only one God, not three (Letter to Dionysius of Alexandria, A.D. 260). Catholic doctrine absolutely rejects the worship of anyone but God and rejects all worship of statues, whether of Christ or the saints. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. This passage is saying that, just as Christians approach the angels, God the judge, Jesus Christ, and his saving blood, so also must we approach the saints in heaven. The 24 elders around the throne, who are saints, and the angels offer these nuggets of incense for us. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord. Though they be employed by God in some way unknown to us to present our prayers (nothing is said of their interceding for us), yet we are told to pray only to Him (Rev 19:10). Not everything in the Bible or every Christian doctrine held has to be made explicit . Without any biblical injunction to perform these things, a Christian risks displeasing God. They know there are greater goods that God is bringing about through our troubles. But infinite power is not necessary for the human or angelic intellect to passively receive this light.

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