Do you think praying to certain saints helps?

[Elisechaina]

Hi was wondering how others felt about saints.. I feel strongly drawn to certain saints and often pray to them when I feel the need. Im especially pray to St Jude, who is the patron saint of lost causes. Maybe its just psychological, but when I pray to him, things seem to improve, or maybe its just coincidence. What do you think?

[Angelique]

Yep. I pray to Saint Theresa of Little Flower for the people on my prayer list in addition to praying for them to God. Does it help? Sometimes... usually I get a rose which tells me Saint Theresa has answered my prayer...

[Azhar]

Yes I do ,I pray to Allah Through the good offices of saints specially Syed Ali Hajveri commonly known as Data Gunj Buksh Lahori.It is because I believe that if he will pray to Allah which is the ultimate source,his request will not be tured down by Allah.Since he is among the beloved and chosen one with millions of devotees.Sometimes the prayers are not answered made through the saints and Sufis is because if all the prayers requested by them are answered ,people would start worshipping them instead of Allah.

[spiritalk]

We all have a personal covenant with God.  His intermediaries certainly bring love and aid when needed.

[Maa]

I actually prefer to pray to God thru Jesus Christ

[MarcoAZS]

yes it works alot.. I feel like when we are praying its like if we were asking to our own inconscious body... I always pray for Saint Expedito and he do amazing things, 100% of the times he did helped me he is the saint of the impossible cases and the ones of urgency so its a very good one if you try.

Lights and Sights!
MarcoAZS

[sidewalk_bends]

I pray to God, or rather talk to him.

I was just curious, to those who pray to saints, why if you can speak to God directly?

[MarcoAZS]

cause god is too busy :p




just kidding

Lights and Flights!
MarcoAZS

[Angelique]

Hi Bends,

I pray to God directly, we converse on a daily basis, but that doesn't mean I can't ask for the saints, my deceased loved ones or anyone else to back me up on something in particular and help petition on my behalf or someone else's. Every little bit helps... and if it doesn't, at least you try every avenue you can when you need hope and a prayer. Why ask people to pray for you, or why pray for someone when they can pray to God? Because every prayer counts...

Why drive when you can walk? Because you can... ;)

It's not about favouring one over another, it's about hoping your request is heard... like when someone has stage 4 cancer and you're praying for a miracle on their behalf. Sometimes those miracles happen and praying is all you can do other than provide company, comfort, good spirits and conversation to them.

[sidewalk_bends]

Hi Bends,

I pray to God directly, we converse on a daily basis, but that doesn't mean I can't ask for the saints, my deceased loved ones or anyone else to back me up on something in particular and help petition on my behalf or someone else's. Every little bit helps... and if it doesn't, at least you try every avenue you can when you need hope and a prayer. Why ask people to pray for you, or why pray for someone when they can pray to God? Because every prayer counts...

Why drive when you can walk? Because you can... ;)

It's not about favouring one over another, it's about hoping your request is heard... like when someone has stage 4 cancer and you're praying for a miracle on their behalf. Sometimes those miracles happen and praying is all you can do other than provide company, comfort, good spirits and conversation to them.

Seems to me it is more a question of faith or lack of in those times of weakness, which we all have. To cover bases means we lack trust or have doubts in our mind?

[Tyrinaniel]

I've honestly never felt the need to pray to a saint.  I take all of my problems directly to God, and never worry over them.  I ask the council of others I find wise, knowing that God gives answers through others.

[Angelique]

Seems to me it is more a question of faith or lack of in those times of weakness, which we all have. To cover bases means we lack trust or have doubts in our mind?

That is entirely your own interpretation.

I will speak strictly for myself on this matter and no one else because someone else may feel differently. To cover bases does not mean we lack trust or have doubt.

Some of those whom practice a form of healing whether they are a doctor, a practitioner, shaman, Reiki, etc... may very well believe in God or a Higher power. However, we use whatever means are available to us to aid us when in need. A Reiki practitioner who believes in God is not practicing reiki because they doubt their faith in God, they are doing what they know they can do to try and help the best way they know how, in addition to prayer if that is their belief and to pray to whomever they feel may "petition" their cause.

A surgeon who believes in God may pray for the patient he is operating on that he heals them and they are healthy again. It's not that he lacks faith in his own skill, it's that every little bit, a hope, a prayer and in the surgeons case skill heals this person.  That same patient who has a strong faith in God knows that a prayer and faith isn't enough, his appendix isn't going to heal itself and neither is the peritonitis that has spread through out his body like a poison and will kill him if he doesn't have his appendix removed, put on antibiotics and have it drained properly by a doctor. Because he went to a doctor instead of using his faith in God, or his faith in prayer... does this mean he doubts God? No...

Some pray or talk (call it what you wish) to their spirit guides for guidance, for help, for aid in addition to God. Does this mean they lack faith in God? If they believe in God, no it does not... it means they are talking with their spirit guides.

A person who is ill, believes in God and yet believes in the healing power of gems will again utilize whatever means are available. Pray to God for healing, see a doctor and go under his care, in addition use that crystal to aid in healing. Does this mean they have doubt or faith in God? Absolutely not. It means they will utilize whatever they can to get the desired results.

If you go into any church, or synagogue you will hear a petition of prayers being requested for this one and that one because they are ill, have fallen on hard times, or perhaps they have passed. It isn't our lack of faith but in unity, like a booming voice, that the Lord hears our prayers. And please do not misinterpret that I feel God does not hear just your own voice, but many. He does. We also know sometimes the squeaky wheel gets the oil.

If none of it works, at least you know you tried with the resources you have available to you.

I'll give you an example: My Uncle Paulie has lung cancer and it has mastisized and traveled elsewhere. I believe whatever happens to him will happen to him, but I know cancer is a disease I cannot control, I cannot save him from it. What I can do is be there for him, I can send him healing energy, I pray for him and ask of God to spare him and heal him, and if he must go to take him where he is without pain and suffering. I ask the same of St. Theresa of Little Flower and St. Rita. It's called a petition. You ask of them to pray on behalf of you. It's not doubt or lack of faith in God of any kind...

I hope this shed light on what I am trying to articulate to help you understand at the very least, a little better from where I am coming from.

Angelique

[sidewalk_bends]

Seems to me it is more a question of faith or lack of in those times of weakness, which we all have. To cover bases means we lack trust or have doubts in our mind?

That is entirely your own interpretation.

I will speak strictly for myself on this matter and no one else because someone else may feel differently. To cover bases does not mean we lack trust or have doubt.

... edit edit

I'll give you an example: My Uncle Paulie has lung cancer and it has mastisized and traveled elsewhere. I believe whatever happens to him will happen to him, but I know cancer is a disease I cannot control, I cannot save him from it. What I can do is be there for him, I can send him healing energy, I pray for him and ask of God to spare him and heal him, and if he must go to take him where he is without pain and suffering. I ask the same of St. Theresa of Little Flower and St. Rita. It's called a petition. You ask of them to pray on behalf of you. It's not doubt or lack of faith in God of any kind...

I hope this shed light on what I am trying to articulate to help you understand at the very least, a little better from where I am coming from.

Angelique

No worries.

It's not that I am against praying for others or asking others to pray for oneself. It gives one comfort.

I was raised Catholic so I do understand the idea of petitioning a saint idea. I guess my question is, what weight does a saint (who is given that name only be man) have over you with respect to his/her relationship to God? You are just as capable as the saint within your own heart.

[sidewalk_bends]

btw, I do feel the same way about spirit guides and such. Why go to a "spirit guide" when you can go to God?

That is the way I feel. I do understand that others choose to feel differently and that is ok. I'm just trying to figure out why people choose the other way.

[Angelique]

I guess my question is, what weight does a saint (who is given that name only be man) have over you with respect to his/her relationship to God? You are just as capable as the saint within your own heart.

You are correct...

I'm just trying to figure out why people choose the other way.

My dad said something to me about 20 years ago which was very thought provoking: "The question 'Why?' only leads to more questions of 'Why?'"  He's right.... But I feel it is our right to ask 'why.'  Eventually, we'll figure it out, or it will be revealed to us. If it isn't, maybe it isn't our place to know.

Trying to figure out why people choose the other way is going to be tough to figure out. We have over 6.6 billion people currently populating the planet and each persons explanations and beliefs will differ or vary to one degree or another.

I guess the next question would be is how committed are you to finding an answer to this question or would you be seeking a general consensus in your immediate environment? Maybe creating a poll with different options with feedback would help you to get a general consensus at best. If  you want to reach a larger audience, survey monkey dot com could help you with that.. that is if you really want to see how far you can take this and get a better overall idea  :)