In other words, is praying to the dead okay in my opinion? Yup! I ask living people to pray for me all the time. Why not ask the folks already in God’s house to pray for me too? Of course, I pray directly to Jesus (as I should), but praying for each other is part of what being a Christian is about and it is a good thing to do for one another. St. Paul strongly encouraged Christians to pray for one another and he asked for their prayers for himself as well. There is a passage in the Gospel of Matthew also where Jesus required us to pray for others and not always just for those who asked for our prayers (off the top of my head, I don’t know the exact passage, but I’ll find it if anyone would like it).

So the Catholic Church STRONGLY encourages us all to pray for one another. There is nothing wrong with asking our fellow Christians, including those in Heaven already, to pray with us.

I was just thinking about it and the folks in Heaven aren’t held back by bodily infirmities or the everyday stresses of earthly life. They are right there before the Lord with nothing like pain or angst holding them back like life holds those of us still bound to earth back. I believe they are right there ready and anxious to take our petitions before the Lord.

So to sum up. If you’ve ever asked a fellow living Christian to pray for you (which is good and you should do), the Catholic Church teaches (and I believe) that it is okay to go ahead and ask the folks already in Heaven to pray for you too. It isn’t like you are pressing God from every angle and being forceful either. God is not like the parent who caves because there are so many voices begging for something. Either He’s going to grant the prayer or not, we have to be willing to accept His yes, His no and His timing, but I believe He wants us to pray for one another’s needs & desires. And I believe there is good precedent in the Bible showing that is His desire for us.

Ask your fellow living Christians to pray for you, but don’t forget the Christians who have gone before you…ask them for their prayers too. It’s okay!! God won’t mind hearing from those He’s already invited into Heaven.

God, please bless all those who read this post!