Can the saints in heaven hear our prayers?

Some people say the saints are dead so they can't hear our prayers, but Trent shows how biblical and historical evidence supports seeking the intercession of the saints in heaven.

[VIDEOMAZTER]

Thank you for this clear and precise explanation.

[TheAusugn]

Thank you Trent! I was not raised Catholic and am seeking out the beliefs of Catholicism as well as the reasons for those beliefs. This was concise and convincing!

[mr.d]

I'm happy that this channel exists, it clarifies a lot about the catholic faith!

[jzak]

The story of Ananias and Sapphira shows that God can allow someone, in this case Peter, to know the hearts of other people. God can do the same with saints in heaven if He chooses.

[SantiagoVerbel-jl]

Hello brother, you said praying to Jesus is not in scripure, but I recently found this passage and I'm a bit confused:

Acts 7:59 "While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”When he had said this, he fell asleep."

Edit: It's not a refutation, just a question :)

[bobbyrice]

The scene in Revelation 5 is John’s vision of heaven’s throne room. When the Lamb had taken the scroll of God’s judgment into His own hand, “the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people” (verse 8). Revelation is the most symbolic book in the Bible, and in this passage the “prayers of the saints” are symbolized as golden bowls of incense, held by twenty-four elders. Of course, the more symbolic something is, the more its interpretations can vary, but it’s important to understand what these prayers of the saints are—and what they are not.

God established incense as a part of the sacerdotal system (and therefore as symbolism) in Exodus 30:1–10 when Moses was told to build the altar of incense. The prayers of the saints in Revelation 5:8, especially as represented by incense in the context of temple imagery, should be understood to take the role of incense in the temple, which was to offer up a sweet aroma to God and to symbolize prayer. The prayers of the righteous are pleasing to Him. Psalm 141:2 describes this aspect of prayer perfectly: “May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice” (Psalm 141:2).

Prayer is linked to the incense in the temple in other passages, as well. When Gabriel appears to Zechariah in the temple and tells him that his prayers have been answered, Gabriel is “standing at the right side of the altar of incense” (Luke 1:11). This happened when “the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense” (verse 10).

There are certainly different types of prayers. Prayers of supplication are the type most people are familiar with, because that’s the type where we ask God for help! But there are other types, too, like the prayers of imprecation (Psalm 55:1:15) and prayers of intercession (Luke 23:34). The fact that the “prayers of the saints” in Revelation 5:8 are not identified by type or in detail—and that they are together in an incense bowl—indicates that we should consider them collectively. God considers prayer-at-large as incense—a sweet aroma to Him.

The fact that these are prayers “of the saints” in Revelation 5:8 indicates that God hears the prayers of His people. Psalm 65:2 addresses God as “You who answer prayer.” Our Lord “hears the prayer of the righteous” (Proverbs 15:29), which is another way of saying that He listens to the prayers of the saints. The “saints” in Revelation 5:8 are not an elite class of people who are more holy than the rest; they are not mediators of our prayers (see 1 Timothy 2:5), and they do not ask us to pray to them. The term saint in Scripture implies parity, not hierarchy. We are all one in Christ (Galatians 3:28). The saints are all believers in Jesus, living or dead, saved by grace through faith. The church is “loved by God and called to be saints” (Romans 1:7, ESV), and, when we pray, it’s as if a golden bowl of incense is being carried to the very throne of God in heaven.

Whom are these prayers of the saints for in Revelation 5:8? Since these prayers are the aggregate of all believers’ prayers through all time, they are about everybody and about everything that is consistent with God’s will. If you pray for somebody’s salvation, that prayer is in the bowl. If you pray for the safety and relief of people after a natural disaster, that prayer is in the bowl. If you pray that God would conform you into the image of Jesus Christ, that prayer is in the bowl. Such prayers are well-pleasing to Him.

Does Revelation 5:8 lend credence to the tradition of praying for the dead? Not at all. The dead have already sealed their fate, for good or for evil (see Luke 16:19–31). There is no post-mortem plan of salvation. Now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). After death, a person faces judgment, not further opportunity (Hebrews 9:27). So, if you pray that God would save or relieve someone who has already died, that prayer would not be in the bowl. Such prayers are futile.

In Revelation 5, God’s plan is near to being accomplished. The judgment of the wicked world is about to commence, and the ultimate redemption of God’s people is about to be realized. The living creatures and elders sing a hymn of praise to the Lamb: “With your blood you purchased for God / persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. / You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, / and they will reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:9–10). The golden vessels full of incense are proffered to God, whose word will stand, whose will is accomplished, and who will pronounce the final “Amen!” to the prayers of the saints.

[lukasg]

Hello!
I'm a little confused, when REV 5:8 is saying "prayers of the saints" is it saying that in the cup were the saints prayers (the saints personal prayer) or was it the peoples (Christians) prayers to the saints?

Thanks!!!

[spontaneouscat]

i believe that you can ask saints under the altar in heaven to help you pray because that exactly what holy spirit tells me when i lift up a pettion prayer to the throne of Abba in heaven i have a gift of prophetic intercessor and im Christian i dont have any idea how saint pray but if you are a prophetic intercessor you just utter what the prayer that comes in your heart and thats the holy spirit told me, ask the saints under the altar in heaven to help you pray for fast recovery of the person who have sickness mostly cancer

[christophekeating]

Every protestant worth his salt believes the Apostles' Creed is an accurate summary of the Faith, and it ends with

"I believe in the Holy Ghost,
the holy catholic (universal) Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen."


Notice "the communion of saints."
Enough said.

[randycarson]

A prayer to the risen Jesus:

While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” (Acts 7:59)

[notdisclosed]

Intercessory Prayer of Saints
Rom 15:30 - join me by your prayers to God on my behalf
Col 4:3, 1Thess 5:25 - pray for us
2Thess 1:11 - we always pray for you
2Thess 3:1 - finally, brothers, pray for us
Eph 6:18-19 - making supplication for all the saints & for me
Tob 12:12 - angel presents Tobit & Sarah's prayer to God
Ps 148 - David calls upon angels
Zech 1:12 - angel intercedes for Jerusalem
Mk 12:25, Mt 22:30 - men in heaven are as the angels
Rev 5:8 - those in heaven offer prayers of the holy ones to God
Mk 12:26-27 - he is God of the living, not of the dead
Mk 9:4 - Jesus seen conversing with Elijah & Moses
Lk 9:31 - Elijah & Moses aware of earthly events
Rev 6:9-11 - martyrs under altar want earthly vindication
Heb 12:1 - we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses
Lk 16:19-30 - departed rich man intercedes for brothers
Rev 20:4 - saw the souls of those who had been beheaded
Wis 3:1-6 - the souls of the just are in the hand of God
2Macc 15:7-16 - the departed Onias & Jeremiah pray for the Jews
Jas 5:16 Prayers of righteous man
1 Cor. 13:12 - I shall understand fully
1 John 4: 20-21 - whoever loves God must love his brother
1 Cor 12:21 - parts of Christ's Body cannot say to other parts, "I do not need you".

[frankjamesiii]

I'm interested in how a protestant would answer to 2kings 13:20-21. Thanks Trent.

[bu]

How come those saints couldn't communicate or receive information via prayer while they were alive on earth? What allows them to answer prayers now that they're in heaven?

[Athagn]

Wouldn’t the saints have to be omnipresent to hear my prayer? Can it be a silent prayer? Do the saints have the ability to read my thoughts? Mary can read my mind and all the other millions minds at the same time? ….

[nojlao-froh]

Look for a verse literally tells Pray to the Dead Saints.

[belleepoque]

If, we do not know on the judgement day whom Christ will say are the sheep and who he will say are the goats then please how can we be certain of the practice of praying to deceased individuals?

[travislee]

The Bible says that Christ is ever interceding for us, The Holy Spirit helps us when we dont know how to pray, we are Joint heirs with Christ, children of God, friends of God, new creations, the veil was torn and there is no seperation between God and man, we have been reconciled to God through Christ. Why talk to saints or Mary who we don't know when there's God who we do know by His Son and His Spirit that dwells in us?

[belleepoque]

Please tell me how for certain that we know we are praying to Saints and not to demons? I am wondering because I keep hearing of presumption being a sin. How do we know that these people are alive in Christ? If Once Saved Always saved is Untrue please, how can we know the afterlife destination of “Saints”?

[PTheGoat]

There blunt historical examples but on the biblical side there isn’t any blunt examples it’s more so as implication and that’s really gonna depend on who is reading it. I am a catholic and I’m not saying whether it’s right or wrong but personally I won’t ask for intercession. I will however venerate the saints as every Christian regardless should learn of the saints lives and try to emulate them.

[donhaddix]

Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 ESV / 2, 575 helpful votes
For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.