Catholics pray to God. Catholics also pray to the saints. Many non-Catholics claim that it is “unbiblical” to pray to anyone other than God. But a closer look at Scripture reveals that this is not the case. Instead, it is quite “biblical” to pray to others, in addition to praying to God.
Part of the issue is one of language. “To pray” simply means “to ask.” Protestants typically use the word “pray” in a restrictive sense, limiting it to requests made only to God. Catholics sometimes use the word “pray” in a less restrictive sense, allowing its use for requests made to God, but also to other people and to angels. When we pray to God, there is an aspect of worship combined with the asking. When we pray to others, it is merely asking, with no element of worship.
The less-restrictive usage of “pray” is what we find in the Bible, most apparent in the older English translations, like the Protestant King James Version. (The Catholic Douay-Rheims Bible has similar passages, but for this article, I’ll limit citations to the KJV.)
Several verses in the KJV record people praying to God (no surprise there!), but also people praying to other people, people praying to angels, people praying to others asking them to pray to God for them, and even an occurrance of God praying to man. Let’s take a look:
PRAY CAN MEAN TO ASK GOD FOR SOMETHING:
“And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.” (Genesis 24:12 KJV) [One of Abraham’s servants to God]
“And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.” (Judges 16:28 KJV) [Samson praying to God]
“And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:17 KJV)
“Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.” (Acts 8:22 KJV) [St. Peter telling Simon the Magician that he needs to pray to God for forgiveness]
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23 KJV) [St. Paul praying for his readers]
At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.” (2 Timothy 4:16 KJV) [St. Paul praying for those who forsook him]
PRAY CAN ALSO MEAN TO ASK ANOTHER PERSON FOR SOMETHING:
“Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee” (Genesis 12:13 KJV) [Abram to his wife Sarai]
“And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.” (Genesis 13:8 KJV) [Abram to his nephew Lot]
“Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.” (Genesis 13:9 KJV) [Abram to Lot]
“And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.” (Genesis 16:2 KJV) [Sarai to Abram]
“And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.” (Genesis 23:13 KJV) [Abraham to Ephron (the son of Zohar the Hittite)]
“And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:” (Genesis 24:2 KJV) [Abraham nearing death, telling his servant to go get a wife for Isaac]
“And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:” (Genesis 37:6 KJV) [The patriarch Joseph to his brothers]
PEOPLE CAN PRAY TO OTHERS ASKING THEM TO PRAY TO GOD FOR THEM:
“Enquire, I pray thee, of the LORD for us; for Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us; if so be that the LORD will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.” (Jeremiah 21:2 KJV) [King Zedekiah sent Pashur and Melchiah to Jeremiah to ask him this. They prayed to Jeremiah that he would pray to the Lord for them]
SOME EXAMPLES OF MAN PRAYING TO ANGELS:
“Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree” (Genesis 18:4 KJV) [Abraham to the “three men” who were angels of the Lord]
“And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.” (Genesis 19:1–2 KJV) [Lot to the angels who visited him at Sodom]
EXAMPLES OF GOD PRAYING TO MAN:
“And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.” (Isaiah 5:3 KJV) [God is asking those in Jerusalem to render a judgement]
“And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts.” (Malachi 1:9 KJV) [The wording here could indicate that Malachi is asking people to ask God for his graciousness; but the “saith the LORD of hosts” at the end could indicate that God is praying (asking) us to pray to Him.]
SOME ADDITIONAL NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES:
“And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.” (Luke 14:19 KJV) [from Jesus’ parable of the Marriage Feast; here, Jesus is putting the expression “I pray thee” in the mouth of one of the people in the parable as he addresses another person]
“And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?” (Acts 8:34 KJV) [the Ethiopian eunuch to the deacon Philip]
“Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words.” (Acts 24:4 KJV) [the orator Tertullus speaking to the governor Felix against Paul]
“Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.” (Acts 27:34 KJV) [Paul speaking to the soldiers and others who were shipwrecked with him]
“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20 KJV) [Paul and Timothy writing to fellow Christians]
