Friend, does a father turn his children away when they ask to speak to him?
Access? God doesn't reside as if in an office. He waits for us, wants us to reach out to Him!
1Ti_2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Joh_14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
It doesn't get any simpler than that...You can not get to the Father by Mary...You can not get to the Father by anyone your religion tells you is a saint in heaven...
Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
This is the key...If I have God in me, why would I waste any time praying to someone who may or may not be in heaven to get a message to God for me??? He's right here...And why would I waste my time going somewhere to eat Jesus to get him inside my stomach when he's already here, inside me???
Your religion has made scripture of such non effect that these scriptures apparently are meaningless to you guys...Your religion has replaced so much scriptural truth with its man made philosophical tradition that it's not tradition with scripture, it's tradition instead of scripture...
Well stated.
His Word is indeed the best response.
On the premise that you have God in you, then why pray to Him at all? Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him, as Jesus said: yet, in practically the next breath, He gave us the "Our Father".
He told us ask and ye shall receive; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
He gave us the parable of the woman who knocked persistently at the judge's door.
Yes, God is with us, as Jesus' Name Emmanuel states. And Jesus taught us not only that prayer itself is important, but that we must sometimes persist in prayer, as God takes His own time, but not give up- He'll answer. (Although, if I may add from experience, He sometimes, like any good Father, has to say "no" for our own good.😊)
Again, God is with us. Yet Jesus said that wherever two or more are gathered in My Name, there I am among you. Why more than one? Because not only is there power in prayer, but there is power when we pray together. There is power when we pray one for another, as Scripture also tells us. There is comfort when we join in prayer, comfort that Jesus Himself sought when He asked Peter, James, and John to join Him in prayer: not only that they themselves would not be put to the test; but that they would pray united with Him, as He showed His sorrow that they who had seen Him in glory on Mount Tabor, chosen apart from the others, could not watch with Him one hour. Twice He, both God and man, looked to His brethren in humanity, as we all are, for comfort, and found none.
Moses; the Judges; the Prophets were all mediators between God and man. Even the High Priests, once a year, entered the Holy of Holies to commune with God- with a rope about their waist lest they died on the midst of God's Presence. God even sent angels as messengers from Him to the people: Abraham; Lot; even the lowly shepherds on the first Christmas night. Jesus sent His Apostles out, to forgive sins; heal the sick; cast out demons. (He also told them to take no provisions at all- but He did send them two by two- yet another example of strength when people pray together).
So Jesus must not have spoken simply that He only could intercede between the Father and man. His role as Mediator went far beyond the simple request that a child, whose angels stand before the Throne of God would make and be heard. Jesus was the Messiah, the One Who reconciled mankind from the sin of Adam and Eve which we in humanity inherited. God chose to accomplish this by sending His Only-Begotten Son to assume our human nature, like to us in all things but sin. Jesus suffered in His Humanity, died and rose again, that in His example of Baptism by water, fulfilling all righteousness, we, too may be Baptised and, in our case, cleansed of original sin. Our responsibility lies in the sins we commit as individuals. A good Father does not allow his children to do wrong and not be admonished; perhaps punished; even made to make retribution when necessary. Would God be any different?
The Bible says to pray one for another. Jesus showed us by Word and example that prayer together is efficacious, even desirable. Why would we not, then ask our brethren in humanity, especially those who are no longer capable of sinning before God, to assist us in prayer?
I state what my Faith teaches. You cite Scripture, chapter and verse, and that's wonderful.
The sniping at my "religion" is not. Nor is it necessary. If we are to discuss, then please do not be discourteous and make generalizations in a rude tone, about things you know very little about. Anyone faith is a lifelong, continuous journey, which should touch every aspect of one's life. If you ever did know Catholicism firsthand, it is not evident. I do not insult you in my replies: hence, if only for discussion's sake, I expect the same courtesy from you.
G-d ♡ bless you!
Grateful ✟ ✡