The Communion of Saints: A Biblical Defense of Intercessory Prayer

A case for intercessory prayer

Google Gemini’s concept of intercessory prayer. AI’s interpretation of things always cracks me up.

I have recently been in discussion with a friend who has an issue with intercessory prayer. This friend is relatively adamant that this is wrong and has stated to me that they will not change their mind because they “believe in the bible.” This article is not meant to convince them (because they’ll never read it), but to help others understand the context of the practice and explore the support for this practice, as well as to put the arguments against it into proper context. I hope to base most of this discussion on the Bible since american protestant christians adhere firmly to the (demonstrably false) Reformation doctrine of Sola Scriptura.

The doctrine of sola scriptura is a foundational principle for many Christians, emphasizing that the Bible is the final and sufficient authority for all matters of faith and practice. When examining the Orthodox practice of asking saints to pray for us, it is important to approach the topic from this framework, demonstrating that this tradition is not only permissible but also a natural extension of core biblical truths.

This defense rests on three fundamental pillars that we’ll explore in detail after the paywall below:

1. The ongoing, active life of the saints in Christ;

2. The scriptural pattern of intercessory prayer within the Body of Christ, and

3. The preservation of Christ’s unique role as the sole mediator of salvation.

We’ll also look at archeological evidence for the practice (praxis) of invoking the saints.