The practice of praying to saints and Mary remains a point of difference between Protestants and Catholics. The Catholic tradition encourages asking deceased saints and Mary to intercede on our behalf before God. However, Protestants believe prayer should be directed to God alone. What guidance does the Bible provide on this issue?
Prayers are directed to God alone in Scripture
The Bible contains many examples of prayer, and in every case prayer is directed to God alone. There are no examples of believers praying to anyone other than God – not to angels, Mary, or deceased saints. For instance, when Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4, he instructs them to address “Our Father who is in heaven.” Throughout the book of Psalms, every prayer is directed to God. The same pattern holds true in the New Testament epistles. Every time prayer is mentioned, the context makes clear it is directed to God alone (Romans 1:9-10, 15:30-32; Ephesians 1:15-19; Philippians 1:3-11; Colossians 1:9-12; 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12). Based on these examples, prayer in the Bible seems to be exclusively directed to God.
God alone has the power to answer prayer
One reason prayer in Scripture is always directed to God is that God alone has the power and authority to respond to prayer. For instance, Jesus states in Matthew 7:7-11 that God gives good gifts when His children ask Him. James 1:17 clarifies that every good gift is from above, coming down from the Father. God encourages His people to call upon Him because He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly more than all we could ask or imagine according to His power (Ephesians 3:20-21). These verses make it clear that prayer is directed to God because He alone has the power and authority to respond.
In contrast, there are no biblical examples of deceased saints or Mary responding to prayers or possessing the attributes of God. They are fellow servants rather than omniscient, omnipotent masters (Revelation 22:8-9). Therefore, directing prayer to them would be both unprecedented in Scripture and inconsistent with their roles as finite creatures rather than the infinite Creator.
Prayer is an act of worship due to God alone
In Scripture, prayer also functions as an act of worship – an expression of awe, love, and dependence directed toward God. For instance, the temple was called “a house of prayer” because it was a place where people could worship and commune with God (Isaiah 56:7). Jesus condemned those who turned it into “a den of robbers” instead of a place of prayer (Matthew 21:12-13). Paul teaches that believers do not simply bring requests to God but also offer thanksgiving and adoration (Philippians 4:6; Colossians 4:2). Based on these examples, prayer clearly involves elements of worship.
Since prayer functions as a form of worship in Scripture, it would be inappropriate to direct it toward anyone other than God. The Bible clearly teaches God alone is worthy of worship. When John attempts to worship an angel, the angel corrects him and says worship should be reserved for God alone (Revelation 19:10, 22:8-9). Since prayer involves worship, and only God is worthy of worship, it follows that prayer should be directed to Him alone.
Asking saints to intercede is different than praying to them
Catholic teaching draws a distinction between praying to saints and asking them to pray and intercede on our behalf. However, even this more limited form of “prayer” lacks clear biblical support. As noted above, there are no examples of believers requesting intercession from anyone other than God Himself. Paul frequently asks for other Christians to pray for him (Romans 15:30-32, Ephesians 6:19, 1 Thessalonians 5:25), but he does not ask deceased saints for intercession. While asking for prayer from fellow believers is biblically grounded, asking deceased saints for intercession appears to lack any Scriptural basis.
Jesus alone intercedes between God and man
Not only are there no biblical examples of praying to saints or asking them to intercede, Scripture actually teaches that Jesus alone functions as the mediator and intercessor between God and man. Jesus’ unique role indicates that believers have direct access to God through Christ and need no other secondary intercessor. For instance, Romans 8:34 clearly states, “Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” 1 Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” Hebrews 7:25 also affirms, “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” Based on these passages, Scripture teaches that Jesus alone intercedes on our behalf – so there is no need to seek intercession from any other source.
Praying to the dead contradicts biblical teachings
While there are no examples of praying to the dead in Scripture, the Old Testament prohibits attempts to communicate with the dead. Passages like Leviticus 20:27 condemn mediums and spiritists who attempt to contact or gain information from the dead. Isaiah 8:19-20 implies that the living should consult with God rather than the dead. Attempting to communicate with deceased saints would seem to contradict these prohibitions. While proponents argue asking saints to intercede is different than the occult practices described above, the lack of any biblical support for praying to or contacting the dead suggests it is best avoided.
Saints in heaven cannot hear our prayers
Another problem with asking deceased saints for intercession is that the Bible provides no indication they can even hear our requests. Passages about death consistently describe it as an unconscious sleep from which believers will one day awaken at Christ’s return (1 Corinthians 15:6, 20, 51; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-16). If deceased saints are awaiting resurrection like the rest of believers, it follows that they lack awareness of current earthly events. While God certainly could choose to reveal our prayers to deceased believers, there is no biblical evidence this occurs. And without such evidence, praying to deceased saints remains an unwarranted practice based more on tradition than Scripture.
Prayer should be offered in Jesus’ name
While prayer to saints lacks biblical support, the Bible does teach that Christian prayers should be offered in Jesus’ name. Jesus states in John 14:13-14, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” Praying in Jesus’ name means approaching God through Christ’s sacrifice and intercession rather than through our own merit (Hebrews 4:14-16). It aligns our requests with Christ’s will and glory. By contrast, praying to Mary and saints introduces intermediaries that may distract from the sufficiency of Christ’s intercession. The biblical pattern is to approach God directly through the advocacy of Christ alone.
Saints as role models for righteous living
Although Scripture does not encourage praying to saints, it does uphold deceased believers as role models of faith. For instance, Hebrews 11 commends the faithful examples of saints like Abraham, Moses, and David. Paul urges believers to imitate him as he imitates Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). The saints’ righteous lives and examples encourage us to pursue Christlikeness. But Scripture never implies we should pray to these fellow servants. They are righteous models but not mediators, intercessors, or recipients of prayer.
Prayer as a form of communion with God
Ultimately prayer is a form of personal, two-way communion with our Creator. Through Christ’s atonement and intercession, believers have the privilege of approaching God’s throne with confidence and boldness (Hebrews 4:16). We have the assurance of being heard and accepted when we come before Him, for we belong to Christ and bear His righteousness (Romans 5:1-2). Prayer is intended to strengthen the intimate bond between us and our Heavenly Father. Introducing third parties could distract from the divine grace that allows us to commune with the Almighty directly.
Conclusion
In summary, the practice of praying to saints and Mary lacks clear biblical support. Scripture presents prayer as a form of worship and means of communion directed to God alone, rather than fellow servants. Christ alone is described as the believer’s mediator and intercessor before the Father. Attempting to communicate with the dead also contradicts biblical warnings against the practice. While deceased saints should be honored as models of the faith, Scripture does not encourage believers to pray to them. Our prayers are to be directed to God through the intercession of the Son alone.