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I AM AN 80 YEAR OLD MALE, BORN AGAIN, CHRISTIAN WITH A LOVE FOR JESUS. I DO NOT GET OUT MUCH ANYMORE BUT FIND THAT TELLING PEOPLE ABOUT THE LOVE JESUS HAS FOR THEM IS NOT ONLY WHAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO BUT SOMETHING THAT THE WORLD NEEDS.
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Location: Melbourne, FL
Zipcode: 32934
Country: US
Zipcode: 32934
Country: US
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"PRAYING AND TALKING TO THE DEAD" BY DAVID MCMILLEN
A LOT OF PEOPLE, EVEN SOME CHRISTIANS, SAY THAT THEY HAVE TALKED TO ONE OF THEIR DEAD LOVE ONES AND EVEN TO SOME OF THE SAINTS. A CATHOLIC FRIEND SAID SHE PRAYS TO MARY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS. THEY HAVE ASKED ME IF THIS IS OK. I KNOW WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT IT AND IN SEARCHING FOR A GOOD ANSWER I RAN ACROSS THE FOLLOWING. IT EXPLAINS AND GIVES SCRIPTURE ON WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS SO I AM GOING TO COPY IT BELOW. I DON'T KNOW WHO WROTE THIS BUT IT IS GOOD. I HAVE LOOKED UP ALL THE SCRIPTURES IT MENTIONS AND IT SEEMS THAT IT IS NOT OK TO SPEAK OR PRAY TO THE DEAD.
What does the Bible say about praying to / speaking to the dead?
Praying to the dead is strictly forbidden in the Bible. Deuteronomy 18:11 tells us that anyone who "consults with the dead" is "detestable to the Lord." The story of Saul consulting a medium to bring up the spirit of the dead Samuel resulted in his death "because he was unfaithful to the LORD; he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance" (1 Samuel 28:1-25; 1 Chronicles 10:13-14). Clearly, God has declared that such things are not to be done.
Consider the characteristics of God. God is omnipresent-everywhere at once-and is capable of hearing every prayer in the world (Psalm 139:7-12). A human being, on the other hand, does not possess this attribute. Also, God is the only one with the power to answer prayer. In this regard, God is omnipotent-all powerful (Revelation 19:6). Certainly this is an attribute a human being-dead or alive-does not possess. Finally, God is omniscient-He knows everything (Psalm 147:4-5). Even before we pray, God knows our genuine needs and knows them better than we do. Not only does He know our needs, but He answers our prayers according to His perfect will.
So, in order for a dead person to receive prayers, the dead individual has to hear the prayer, possess the power to answer it, and know how to answer it in a way that is best for the individual praying. Only God hears and answers prayer because of His perfect essence and because of what some theologians call His "immanence." Immanence is the quality of God that causes Him to be directly involved with the affairs of mankind (1 Timothy 6:14-15); this includes answering prayer.
Even after a person dies, God is still involved with that person and his destination. Hebrews 9:27 says so: "…Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment." If a person dies in Christ, he goes to heaven to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:1-9, especially verse 8); if a person dies in his sin, he goes to hell, and eventually everyone in hell will be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14-15).
A person suffering in agony will not be able to hear or answer a prayer, nor will a person who is living in heavenly bliss with God. If we pray to someone and he is in eternal agony, should we expect him to be able to hear and answer our prayers? Likewise, would a person in heaven be concerned for temporal problems on earth? God has provided His Son, Jesus Christ, to be the mediator between man and God (1 Timothy 2:5). With Jesus Christ as our mediator, we can go through Jesus to God. Why would we want to go through a sinful dead individual, especially when doing so risks the wrath of God?
I HOPE THE ABOVE ANSWERS EVERYONE'S QUESTIONS ABOUT TALKING OR PRAYING TO SOMEONE THAT HAS DIED. I HOPE ALL YOU CATHOLICS REALIZE THIS IS ALL SCRIPTURAL AND IF YOU CAN FIND ANY SCRIPTURE THAT SAYS TO PRAY TO MARY, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. AND I HAVE ALSO MENTIONED IN THE PAST THAT WE ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO CALL ANYONE "FATHER" EXCEPT OUR HEAVENLY FATHER. (MATTHEW 23:9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.)
GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
YOURS IS WELL SAID, WAYNE, AND IF THOSE PEOPLE DON'T WAKE UP, THEY ARE GOING TO BE IN A LOT OF TROUBLE. THEY ARE THINKING THEY KNOW GOD'S WORD TOO GOOD TO BE DECEIVED AND THEY ARE DECEIVED INTO BELIEVING THAT. ALL WE CAN DO IS PRAY FOR THEM ALL.
THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND GOD BLESS YOU.
DAVID
Well said.. Scriptures says it's an abomination and detestable to the lord. That is the truth. And the Bible (Scripture) gets it right. The dead cannot hear them. No need to get into who it really is they are hearing. It's not their dead relatives or friends. Paul said it when he said "We wrestle not against flesh and blood by against spiritual wickedness in high places." There is an unseen world and Jesus (Yeshua) explained it when he said those born of the spirit are spirit and those born of the flesh are flesh. People are brainwashed by darkness dressed as light. There is ONE mediator between GOD & Man and that is CHRIST.
"I never knew you" Christ will tell many on judgement day as they did not follow his true teachings and many are educated and yet they are blind. They have time for the worldy things but not time for the true GOSPEL.
Bless you