Praying for the death

[Jacqueline]

For as long as I can remeber when I pass a grave yard I would say a little prayer. "God please forgive them for their sins and embrace their soul's if it's your will in Jesus name I pray." I'm Thirty-Three years old and I'm still doing this. I guess I still do it because I would want someone to pray for me. My question is do praying for the dead help them in any way?

[Leonard]

Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

In Dante's Divine Comedy at the entrance to hell is a sign reading "Resign hope all ye who enter here."

However, Jesus has been there....IT CANNOT BE WITHOUT HOPE!!!

Praying for the dead may be of no help, but I cannot see how it could hurt.

With a blessing,

Leonard a sinner

[nebula]

Welcome, Jacqueline!

(I'm 33, too! :hug: )

Well, I can see the potential for a whole can-o-worms opening up here.

"God please forgive them for their sins and embrace their soul's if it's your will in Jesus name I pray."

Your prayer is sweet, and I appreciate your heart's intent here.

I would like for you to consider a couple things, though.

A person's fate in the afterlife is determined by the person. Sure, it is God's will for all to be saved, but if a person has not repented of their sins and made Jesus their Lord and Savior - then (you might say) their goose is cooked! Some believe it is possible for a person to repent even after death, others argue that once's it's over it's over.

When Paul came to the end of his life, he said, "I've fought the fight; I've finished the race." The implication I am getting at is that the battle is here on Earth; the race is here on Earth. The dead are gone. They are off the battle field, no longer in competition.

I don't know if this is applicable or not, but Jesus told one man, "Let the dead bury their dead."

What I am getting at - and you can take this with a grain of salt, but the harvest is for the here and now, the people on this Earth now. People are dying who need to know Jesus now.

I don't know if prayers for the dead are fruitful or not. I do know that many tribal societies are in bondage to their need to reverence the dead.

Let your prayers be for the living. When you pass people on the street, pray for their salvation. When you walk into a restaurant, pray for the souls of the people there to know Jesus. When you go to work, pray for those you work with and those in the building, etc.

If you do these things, and you still have the tug in your heart to pray for the souls of those whose bodies are in the graveyard - I don't think you'll be penalized for it! I think somehow it is wired in us to have a reverance for those who have gone into the spiritual realm - maybe because their passing puts us in touch with the spirit realm (??). I don't know.

The point is, may your prayers first be for the souls of the living - for they are the ones you are in the race with.

MAke sense?

:upsided:

[JP1]

Welcome to Worthy, Jacqueline!

Praying for the dead won't do them any good, as the Bible tells us it is too late for them. They had their entire life to either accept or reject Jesus. However, if it makes you feel better, I don't believe there is any harm in it. It doesn't hurt . . .

[JP1]

The point is, may your prayers first be for the souls of the living - for they are the ones you are in the race with.

Awesome post - very inspiring. Sure made mine look weak!

[Ovedya]

No Biblical evidence that I have ever seen supports the idea that praying for or to the dead has any effect whatsoever. The reason we can pray to the Lord Jesus is because He is not dead, but ALIVE!

[other one]

My question is do praying for the dead help them in any way?

Please add my question to yours. What is this verse talking about?

1 Cor 15:29

29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

(KJV)

[Ovedya]

Here is one possible answer: http://online.recoveryversion.org/FootNotes.asp?FNtsID=4660

[His son]

2 Tim 3:16-17

16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

2 Pet 1:20

20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

2 Sam 14:14

14 For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.

Job 37:24

24 Men do therefore fear him: he respecteth not any that are wise of heart.

Reply

Quote:

A person's fate in the afterlife is determined by the person. Sure, it is God's will for all to be saved, but if a person has not repented of their sins and made Jesus their Lord and Savior - then (you might say) their goose is cooked! Some believe it is possible for a person to repent even after death, others argue that once's it's over it's over.

This fact would be conditional of God's foreknowledge of what they know, and understand of salvation to the same extent of being capable of making a choice as any other person, Him being totaly just, and no respector of persons.

Jaqueline,

If you feel like that urging comes from The Holy Spirit I would suggest that you obey Him. We know that The Gospel will be preached to every creature, and we also know that Christ went and preached to the spirits in prison, we don't know if He still does or not, and we don't have to. You get your advice on this from The Holy Spirit, then you will have The Truth, thats why your Father sent Him to you, and Father always knows best.

[Adstar]

For as long as I can remeber when I pass a grave yard I would say a little prayer. "God please forgive them for their sins and embrace their soul's if it's your will in Jesus name I pray." I'm Thirty-Three years old and I'm still doing this. I guess I still do it because I would want someone to pray for me. My question is do praying for the dead help them in any way?

It does not help them in any way.

All praise The Ancient of Days