So might a Catholic ask his dead Catholic parents to intercede on their behalf, just for good measure?

So if I ask Abraham God's friend or the Disciple That Jesus Loved [Lazarus(?)], to pass a request to God, does one have more of a chance of getting answered than the other? I mean, what's the point of having someone else to make a prayer request for you? Or is it a numbers thing? The more people petition, the more and faster the answers come?

@Ruminator What is the purpose of your prayer? We are instructed to pray in Jesus' name. If you do something “in the name of” someone else, it means you do it according to their wishes. Prayer is not about getting an answer or a request granted, it is about becoming closer to our Savior. (As the primary purpose) We should of course pray and tell God about all of our concerns, requests, hopes, dreams, and worries. We should pray for others, friends, family and enemies. Leaders of government, for those persecuted, for the unsaved, ... why? How about "Because God said so."

@RayButterworth Yes indeed, that is how catholics understand it. Eastern Orthodox as well. I dislike the use of the word Prayer, we are "petitioning" or "asking", Prayer is only for God. :)

So the more people that sign your petition, the more likely God will grant the request? Or the more important the people that sign? And is praying the Lord's Prayer ten times more effective than praying it once? I'm looking for the rationale of multiplied prayers, intercessors or petitioners.

@Ruminator (Note, I'm expressing Eastern Orthodox understanding in the comments, I'm not catholic, the answer was catholic) The easiest reason for why we should repeat prayers multiple times is to make it a habit. We should pray without ceasing. The effect is mostly on yourself. If you are praying, then you aren't sinning after all. :) As for the "petition" analogy, the purpose of Prayer is to know your Savior better, God told us to pray for others. Ultimately prayer involves submitting your will to the will of God. As Jesus prayed in the garden... "Not my will, but Yours be done"

That doesn't sound like it relates at all to "prayer requests" as explained in you earlier comment. How does making a prayer request to Jesus' mom, for example, simply asks someone else to intercede for them.

You asked a new question, why are you surprised that the answer is off topic?

Why we should repeatedly pray something, is to build a healthy habit

that of course has not very much, if anything to do with "why we pray" or "if asking someone else to pray for us has value"

Another off topic thing... Catholics and Orthodox do not have to ask the saints, angels, or Mary to pray for them

Okay, well that is what I'm trying to nail down - the rationale.

Prayer has multiple purposes, the primary one is to bring us closer to our Savior

building the habit of praying as often as possible, is only beneficial

like brushing teeth is

:)

Since we're both here, I am not catholic... so I dunno if I'm completely accurate with the question, but I'll answer what I can from my EOC view :)

Okay, thanks, I appreciate the caveat. I too and asking about things that are very foreign ideas to me.

I totally like this version of you

this feels like the better side

the one trying to honestly understand

felt like fighting last time

Are you christian or just trying to understand christians?

or just trying to understand catholics... cause man they are confusing sometimes

xD

What I put on forms where they ask my religion is, "Befuddled."

hehe, fair enough