Should I Ask Saints to Pray for Me?

Christians agree that you should pray directly to God through Jesus Christ. Whether you may also ask departed saints to pray for you is a disputed question.

Why many Christians say yes

Catholic and Orthodox Christians believe those who die in Christ are alive with him, not cut off from his Church.

• Jesus says God “is not the God of the dead, but of the living” (Luke 20:38).
• The Church is one body in Christ (Romans 12:5).
• Revelation pictures heavenly elders presenting “the prayers of the saints” before the Lamb (Revelation 5:8).

So they see asking Mary or another saint for prayer as parallel to asking a faithful Christian on earth: not worship, and not replacing Christ, but requesting intercession.

Why many Christians say no

Many Protestants believe Scripture clearly tells believers to pray to God, but does not clearly instruct them to address departed Christians.

They stress that Christ is the unique mediator of salvation: “there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). They therefore prefer to ask living believers for prayer and bring every request directly to the Father through the Son.

A faithful way forward

You never need a saint’s intercession to gain access to God.

Because of Jesus, you may “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16). If your conscience is not persuaded that asking saints is biblical, do not do it. Ask God directly, and ask Christians around you to pray.

If you do ask a saint to pray, keep the center clear: worship belongs to the triune God alone, and every grace comes through Christ.