Why pray to saints and angels if we could just talk to Jesus?

Being a former Protestant who denounced Catholics for praying to the saints, I completely understood where my evangelical student was coming from. Back then, I even told my mom to burn the statues of the saints!

Now that I have grown deeper in my faith as a Catholic, I’d like to offer three points for us to consider:

Isn’t Christ the ONLY mediator?

In his letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul told his young disciple: “For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all (1 Timothy 2:5-6).”

Yes, ultimately Jesus is the one mediator of our salvation. It is through his death that we are saved. No other human being – even a saint – can claim that.

HOWEVER, Christ’s being one mediator did not prohibit us from “mediating – or interceding – for one another.” In fact, St. Paul urges us to do just the opposite! Look at what he told Timothy just two verses earlier in his letter:
“I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings should be made for everyone… this is right and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior…” (1 Timothy 2:1-3).

The Greek word for “intercession” is “enteuxeis” which means to “go between or petition for one another.” Therefore, since Christ is our one mediator, he is calling us to participate in his mediation through our prayers and intercessions.

The argument “why don’t you just go directly to God” then loses its meaning. In fact, Christians – Catholic or not – always ask for mediation when they say, “Please pray for me.” Should we then ask, “Why do you ask your friends and your pastors to pray for you if you could just go directly to God?”

Can the saints and angels answer our prayers?

While many Evangelicals misunderstand our prayer to saints as acts of worshipping them, no one would accuse me of worshipping my relatives by asking for their prayers. And this is what Catholics really do when we invoke the saints.

Notice that we never directed to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the angels or the saints phrases like “we adore you” or “we worship you.” It has always been “Pray for us” or “Intercede for us.” We don’t pray to saints expecting them to give us the answer to our prayers. Ultimately, it is God who grants our petitions. Rather, we ask them to pray with us and for us.

As St. James said in his letter, “The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). If we believe that the prayers of the sinners here on earth can help us, how much more the prayers of those who are already in Heaven?”

Can the saints and angels in heaven hear us?

As I explained these things to my student, his eyes lit up. And just as I expected it, he asked me the clincher question – do the saints in heaven really pray for us?

When I was still a Protestant, my pastor told me that the so-called “saints” are dead and they will never hear our prayers nor know what we do. However, soon I realized that it’s not what the Bible was teaching. It shows us that the saints and angels in heaven are alive and interceding for us.

In Luke 9:28-36, Jesus talked to Moses and Elijah during His transfiguration. Did Jesus, a faithful Jewish, violate teaching against talking to the dead (Deuteronomy 18:10-13)? No. Moses and Elijah are alive in heaven. In Luke 16:19-21, we also see Christ teaching the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Upon his death, the angels brought Lazarus to the side of “Father Abraham” and he comforted the poor man, knowing very well how much he suffered on earth. We also know that all the heavens are aware and rejoice when one sinner repents and goes back to Christ (Luke 15:7)!

What’s even more striking is this: in the bible, we see the saints in heaven offering our prayers to God in the form of bowls of incense (Revelations 5:8; Psalm 141:2). Look at how detailed the description of their intercession is:

Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.
Revelations 8:3-5, NKJV – a Protestant translation

We have friends in heaven

I would never forget that conversation I had with my student. I do hope and pray that he’ll realize how much God has blessed us with so much help from heaven.

As Christians, we have been blessed to have a Mother who intercedes for us (John 2:3), angels who accompany us (Hebrew 1:14; Matthew 18:10), and a great cloud of witnesses – saints – who urge us to follow our Lord and Savior Jesus more faithfully (Hebrews 11-12:2).

Just as we give honor to the artist when we praise his works, we give so much honor to God when we praise His creation – especially his saints, our friends from Heaven, His gifts for us.

May we have a close relationship with our angel and the saints that we too may worship God with them once we reach the glory of Heaven.

Comments

9 responses to “Why pray to saints and angels if we could just talk to Jesus?”

November 10, 2019

gabby

A good apologetics piece. Some nominal Catholics should be reminded or cautioned of certain abuses such as having recourse to the saints while forgetting the worship due to God. Our relationship with the angels and saints should bring us even closer to God.

1. November 10, 2019
  
  John Bernard Ordoñez Caasi
  
  Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, Sir Abayon. 🙂
  
March 4, 2020

Ynor Naluas

Hi.

In Eph 2:18, Paul revealed that through the Holy Spirit that is in us, as a consequence of what Jesus did on the cross, both Jews and Gentiles now have access to the Father. In Eph 3:12 he repeated that because of Christ and our faith in Him, we can now boldly and confidently come into the presence of God. If as believers, we can do it confidently, why don’t we pray directly to God whom we can be sure can hear us? This is an instruction revealed to struggling Christians in Ephesus, like us today. The writer of Hebrews encouraged us in the same manner (v4:16).

As found in Daniel 10, even the angels cannot be in two places at the same time, because they are not God. Therefore, I struggle in understanding how a saint in heaven can hear requests simultaneously uttered by many of us here on earth. However, if the prayers are said directly to God, those will all be certainly heard however many of us prays simultaneously. The Bible tells that our acceptability to God rests on our faith in Christ who made this all possible (Rom 5:1-2).

Asking for prayers from the living saints are OK because we knew they hear our request because there is direct physical engagement. And acknowledgment can be obtained.

Wouldn’t God, our Father, be delighted if we pray to Him directly, in Jesus’ name. It came with the Lord assurance (John 14, 15, 16).

By the way, I note that the prayers in Rev6 are the souls of the saints’ own prayers that they uttered.

Thank you for this opportunity.

1. October 9, 2020
  
  Greg F
  
  Good point and I agree to this.
  
  1. December 22, 2020
    
    John Bernard Ordoñez Caasi
    
    Hello, Ynor and Greg!
    
    Sorry for the late reply. For some reason, I was notified of your comments only recently. My apologies for that. I will try to be more prompt in my replies.
    
    I appreciate your taking the time to react to this blog post. I would like to address the concerns that you brought up:
    —–
    “If as believers, we can do it confidently, why don’t we pray directly to God whom we can be sure can hear us? This is an instruction revealed to struggling Christians in Ephesus, like us today. The writer of Hebrews encouraged us in the same manner (v4:16).”
    
    I agree with you and the Church agrees as well that nothing should stop us from approaching the throne of grace with boldness and confidence, knowing that God is omnipresent, omniscient, and full or endless mercy and grace.
    
    Praying WITH the saints and asking for their intercession is not a REPLACEMENT to a direct prayer to God. After all, as I’ve said, it’s God who answers our prayers. The saints (and angels) are our models in the faith, and they aid us in our prayers. As the Scripture tells us, they are alive (Matthew 17:3-5); they surround us and are aware of what is happening here on earth (Hebrews 12:1; Luke 15:7-10); and they hear our prayers (Revelations 8:3-5; Revelations 5:8).
    —-
    “Therefore, I struggle in understanding how a saint in heaven can hear requests simultaneously uttered by many of us here on earth.”
    
    Being a former Protestant myself, I understand your struggle here. However, while we cannot conceive the idea of bilocation or being in two places or hearing from two places at the same time SINCE BEING HUMAMS WE ARE IN TIME AND IN SPACE, we must remember that heaven is outside time and space. Therefore, we cannot apply to it our physical laws and limitations here on earth.
    
    It would really be a struggle for us IF WE ASSESS HEAVENLY realities BASED ON OUR HUMAN LOGIC ALONE (we need BOTH reason AND revelation). I am not saying that it is impossible for us to understand how things in heaven work, but I humbly propose and I think we can both agree that there are aspects of our Christian faith which are beyond our human comprehension – “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. (Isaiah 55:8-9).
    
    We know that the saints hear us through the witness of Scripture and the countless accounts of people and saints who experienced their intercession. This is something that was believed by the early Christians up until recently when non-Catholics dismissed the practice as “unbiblical”, “invented,” and “superstitious.”
    —-
    “Asking for prayers from the living saints are OK because we knew they hear our request because there is direct physical engagement. And acknowledgment can be obtained.
    
    Wouldn’t God, our Father, be delighted if we pray to Him directly, in Jesus’ name. It came with the Lord assurance (John 14, 15, 16).”
    
    We know that the saints hear us because a contextual and historical reading of the bible show us, history of Christianity confirms it, and reason can support it.
    
    I don’t think “direct physical engagement and acknowledgement” are needed for prayers. It would be reassuring for us to hear audibly from a friend telling us, “I am praying for you.”
    
    But isn’t it that we also pray for those who do not know that we are praying for them? And our prayers are not less effective and LESS REAL just because they do not know or hear our prayers – our prayers remain true even the ones we are praying for did not get that “acknowledgement.”
    
    As a Christian, do you not trust the prayers of our brothers and sisters in the faith IF WE DON’T SEE THEM OR HEAR THEM PRAYING FOR US? We know that they are praying for us – and we count on their prayers for we know that their prayers “avail much” (James 5:16).
    
    How much more effective then are the prayers of those who are already with God in heaven?
    
    Let us not be afraid to ask our heavenly friends to pray for us and with us. Read about their lives and see how they’ve put Christ at the center of everything – then let’s ask their prayers that we too can live our lives always and ever deepening our personal relationship with Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
    
    Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
    
    I hope you and your families are safe from COVID.
    
    Bernz
    
August 10, 2021

Anonymous

5

September 4, 2021

Anonymous

4.5

December 15, 2022

Bernadette

Great points here and I appreciate the politeness of arguments to the contrary.
The reference to Daniel chapter 10 got me thinking, as per the delay in the Angel being able to come and help.
However, a reading of the verses convey that this does not indeed mean the prayers weren’t heard:

11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, give heed to the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood up trembling. 12 Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your mind to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. 13* The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, so I left him there with the prince of the kingdom of Persia * 14 and came to make you understand what is to befall your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.”

From this we can conclude that God and the angels and saints hear us as soon as we pray, but if course it is God who sends them to help us, (‘now I have been sent to you’) which is as it should be, nothing occurs without the Will of God. But doesn’t He delight in us loving and helping one another? He commands as such to us on earth, how much more would heavenly beings be tasked to to aid us in the fight?!

For those who still hesitate I would suggest asking Jesus directly for Him to allow the saints and angels to help you, but that if this is not pleasing to God to ignore your request.
I think God would delight in such a humble prayer. Remember we have a ‘great cloud of witnesses’ that surrounds us as we run the race to the finish. (Hebrews 12:1)
Don’t they cheer us on?

All for and to God’s glory!

June 17, 2025

Debra Gamboa

What a great discussion, so respectful and informative. I really appreciate hearing how each side explains their point with Scripture. I am Evangelical with many close Catholic friends. We often gather to pray together and share prayer requests within our group. What I find disturbing is that I hear them praying to Mary, the Saints, and to Archangel Michael for their help. Recently I lost something and shared the news with my friend. During my quiet time with the Lord, I felt the Lord had been delaying me from replacing the item because it was still to be found. So, I prayed that he would reveal it’s whereabouts to me and during the course of the day I found it in a place I had probably seen (but not seen) it a half dozen times during the month and a half it was lost. When I shared my good news with my friend she told me she had prayed to Saint Anthony to help me find it because he has never fails her. It felt like there was a competition between who had really helped me Saint Anthony or God. What I understand you to be saying is that Christians are encouraged to request intercession from Saints, angels, and Mary herself, but that they should not request help in the resolution of an issue directly from these people and beings, knowing that it is God who answers our prayers directly and sends answers and help through his ministering angels. So, is the problem in a discrepancy between theory and practice? Or would you say there is no problem?
On a slightly different point, and maybe there is another chat on this topic, but placing candles and flowers around portraits of saints including Mary is an act of veneration which scripture strictly warns against. When John is recorded to have fallen before the angel twice in Revelation he is told not to do it, because he is a fellow servant with John and with his brothers the prophets and all who keep the words of scripture. He tells John to “worship God”. I don’t know if you are still answering questions on this chat. But I appreciate having found it.