Question 75 – What about praying to the Saints, Mary,...?
Although I have decided to avoid criticizing other Christian churches and denominations as much as possible, it is not always feasible. This topic is so prevalent in Czech society that it cannot be ignored or bypassed. The answer to the question might be: Yes, we can pray to whomever we choose; it is a free choice for every individual. However, the question should be posed differently – does God Himself approve of such prayers, and does He find it pleasing when people do not come directly to Him but instead approach Him through other "mediators or intercessors"? My answer and conviction are unequivocally NO.
The truth is that our largest Christian church officially recommends this type of prayer (especially to Mary and the saints). It attempts to promote and propagate this form of "devotion" among the masses through various means and methods. From this practice also emerges the so-called "Marian devotion," where people consecrate themselves to Mary, travel to various pilgrimage sites where the alleged (!!!) Mary is said to have appeared and performed miracles, wear her medals, pray the so-called "rosaries," bow to her statues, and so on. With all due respect to others who think differently, I am convinced that from God's perspective, this constitutes idolatry, which is unequivocally condemned by the Bible.
However, I also want to point out that I hold the true (biblical) Mary in high regard, as well as those who heroically fought their "life of faith" and died in faithfulness to God (some of the so-called "saints"). In many ways, they can be an inspiration and example to us Christians (with their faith, obedience, and humility). This answer is therefore not a critique of the biblical Mary or deceased Christians, but of the practice that makes Mary and deceased Christians into something that, in my opinion, they themselves would often never have wished for. In the Old Testament and throughout the entire history of the Jewish nation, we do not find a single mention of Old Testament prophets, priests, or ordinary faithful Jews creating fellowship (prayers, praises, requests, thanks, etc.) with anyone other than God Himself.
Whenever idolatry occurred, it always represented a departure from God, which usually had fatal consequences for the Jews and their community. We find the same stance on idolatry in the New Testament. It is foolish to think that a principle applied for millennia could suddenly be completely twisted, and that an almighty, holy, and jealously loving God would desire people to suddenly call more to the mother of His Son than to Himself, or to thousands of "saintly" intercessors, or even to angels. Nowhere in the entire New Testament do we find even a hint that any of the apostles of the time, or even the Lord Jesus Himself, recommended praying (or euphemistically "interceding," as some claim) to deceased persons. (And quite incomprehensibly, they also refuse to call this "praying") or worshiping them in any way. There are many theological and biblical arguments against this practice. Some of them are briefly as follows:
The overall message of the Bible is strongly "Christocentric." This means it is uncompromisingly focused on worshiping Jesus Christ and thereby God the Father Himself. The Bible also warns in many places against false teachers who will try to disrupt the focus on Jesus and God Himself.
In the Bible, prayers were always directed directly to God Himself. Turning to anyone else was an unacceptable form of idolatry. The purpose of prayer is also about deepening one's relationship with God and growing "in Him."
If we do not pray to God, He cannot transform us, touch us, or allow us to develop a relationship with Him, which is necessary for these matters.
The New Testament contains specific reactions from Jesus that reject any special privilege of Mary. Jesus had multiple opportunities to support this "cult," but did not, and instead discouraged any exaltation of Mary (e.g., Matthew 12:48).
God categorically prohibited communicating with the spirits of the dead (necromancy).
To consecrate oneself to anyone other than God is a complete misunderstanding and missing of the biblical message's aim.
Worshiping any statues and images (or praying to them) is expressly forbidden in the Bible.
When it comes to the veneration of angels, there are examples in the Bible where true angels, upon appearing to individuals, reject any adoration or bowing, and point to God Himself.
When studying many statements of the "Marian apparitions" that are against the Bible, we come upon compelling evidence that demons, not the biblical Mary, are disguising themselves as Mary to deceive their audiences. Those who do not recognize the Bible as an authority for discerning any spiritual events can find it very difficult to recognize this deception. (See, for example, the document Messages from Heaven, freely available on the internet [8].)
Rational arguments can also be mentioned here – for example: How could a dead person (even when present with God) be capable of hearing the prayers of millions simultaneously? By doing this, Mary and the saints are in fact attributed divine attributes like omniscience.
Also, there arises the question of why we would go to God through someone else and not directly to Him, as He Himself wishes and calls us to do. There are many reasons for this. Sometimes this practice is justified by saying that Mary is more "feminine," and thus has more love and understanding. Other times, it is asserted that these people (the so-called saints) went through similar hardships as we do, and therefore understand us better. However, this is a gross misunderstanding of the nature of God, as all these attributes are hidden in God, including the fact that Jesus Himself lived a human life with all its possible temptations. He Himself thus perfectly understands us (even as our Creator). Hence, it is very sad that many who call themselves Christians often pray most of their time (if not all) to various intercessors or Mary.
In the veneration of Mary, various Marian dogmas play a crucial role, accepted by the Roman Catholic Church, which make her the "Queen of Heaven" and essentially a supernatural entity capable of influencing our salvation or even being an intermediary. For many uninformed people, her persona is therefore attractive, and they direct their prayers and hopes towards her.
God's message, however, is unequivocal
God loves us immensely and jealously desires a direct personal relationship with us. He offers us direct access before His throne through the forgiveness of Jesus Christ. For this reason, it is illogical not to take advantage of this offer and for any reason to bypass God.
Summation
The entire Bible clearly shows that the only one who deserves our time, our prayers, our praises, and all our focus is God Himself. Conversely, any attempts to exalt anyone else are condemned and stamped out in the Bible.