Praying for the Dead

[bobet]

I just recently lose my mother. Will it help her soul to be saved if I will regularly offer prayers for her? In her lifetime, my mother was very religious but she was not without her shortcomings. She died of cancer, for five months I was a witness to the pain she endured. I believed that the Lord let that happen because I read in the Bible that it is better to pay for our sins while alive than pay it after the judgment day.

 

[tribesman]

I just recently lose my mother. Will it help her soul to be saved if I will regularly offer prayers for her? In her lifetime, my mother was very religious but she was not without her shortcomings. She died of cancer, for five months I was a witness to the pain she endured. I believed that the Lord let that happen because I read in the Bible that it is better to pay for our sins while alive than pay it after the judgment day.

How does it come that you think that prayers for a dead person can "help" them to be saved?

Do you know what salvation is?

Jesus paid it all in full in His work for His people. There is no way that man himself can pay for his sins.

Ps.49

[5] Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?
[6] They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;
[7] None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:
[8] ( For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever )
[9] That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.

Matt.15

[14] Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

Eph.1

[4] According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
[5] Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
[6] To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
[7] In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

 

[bobet]

@tribesman

Can you please explain this verse?

1 Peter 4:1
"For as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin"

 

[tribesman]

@tribesman

Can you please explain this verse?

1 Peter 4:1
"For as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin"

This verse is speaking of how to rid sin from our christian lives. It does not speak of the ground and basis for salvation, which is found in the person and work of Christ ALONE.

I will now ask you in return what salvation is/means to you?

 

[bobet]

Salvation means accepting Jesus as the Son of God, the savior of mankind.

 

[tribesman]

Salvation means accepting Jesus as the Son of God, the savior of mankind.

That is something that can only be done on earth, for those who God graciously grants mercy.

Mark.2

[10] But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)

Heb.9

[27] And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

How come then that you believe your prayers can save the dead?

 

[bobet]

How come then that you believe your prayers can save the dead?

I stated this as a question. If I absolutely "believe" my prayers can save my dead mother, I wouldn't have asked here for your or any other's opinions.

I have only understand the real meaning of "sorrow" after losing my mother. And including her in my prayers is a way of coping with it. Can I at least do that? Pray for the Lord to take care of my mother's soul?

 

[tribesman]

I stated this as a question. If I absolutely "believe" my prayers can save my dead mother, I wouldn't have asked here for your or any other's opinions.

I have only understand the real meaning of "sorrow" after losing my mother. And including her in my prayers is a way of coping with it. Can I at least do that? Pray for the Lord to take care of my mother's soul?

And my point is that your initial question says very much about your beliefs. If you really knew the way of salvation you would never have asked a question like that. You would have known that only the work of Christ makes the difference between heaven and hell for a sinner, not the work of the sinner - alive or dead - you would have known that no amount of works or efforts of man can pay for his sins, but that the work of Christ alone was given as a ransom to that end. This is what the gospel is about. It would never had crossed your mind that your prayers for a dead person can affect its state as dead, let alone help "saving" that person.

This is a serious issue. Paul said that there are those that are zealous for God, but not according to knowledge, since they are ignorant about the righteousness of God, going about to establish their own righteousness, which they think will save them (Rom.10:1-4). Those who are yet ignorant about this are lost, according to Paul. So, either you are not saved and need to come to the knowledge of the truth, or you are saved, but something/someone has confused you and shaken your mind to begin to question the ground of salvation. Which one, I'm not sure. Are you by any chance a roman catholic?

Finally, I do not find it a sin to pray for a dead person (only to pray to a dead person). But such prayers can only have a symbolical value, like battling sorrow etc, they can not affect the state of the dead. Their "fate" was finished when they walked the earth, as the scriptures I quoted in post #6 shows.

 

[wwjd_kilden]

I agree with tribesman here

The bible is perfectly clear about what saves us (Christ), and thus praying to a dead person will not affect anyone's salvation.
Her salvation is already determined: If she believed in Christ she already IS saved.

I am not sure what you mean by pray. If you simply talk to her I think that is a good way to handle sorrow, Just keep in mind that "calling on" the dead, as to bring them to you, is never a good idea. (Sorry if this is far fetched, but I have several friends who have talked about doing this).

 

[bobet]

When you love a person, you can't stop loving him or her even after death. It was my mother who taught us that there is God, that Jesus is the Son of God, and I considered that as her best legacy for us, her children. It was this faith that helped me survived the agony of seeing her dying. It just felt heartless to stop caring for her because she is dead now and not including her in my prayers like "Lord, please don't stop loving my mother as we love her." The greatest commandment is LOVE, and if I pray for my dead mother out of love, then I think there's nothing wrong with that. And thank you for your assurance, when she was still alive, my mother accepted Jesus as her savior, so she is saved.

 

[Ugly]

No one is saying to stop loving her. But she's dead, and judged. Whatever is going to happen to her, heaven or hell, is done already. Praying for her is useless. Praying To her is useless and an occultic act.
Sorry for what you're going through, i was only 21 when i lost my mother to illness. But our mothers are gone, and hopefully, in heaven now. They're in better place than you or i are right now. If they're in heaven they don't need our prayers. They're with Jesus, and in their new, sinless, disease free bodies now.