FWIW, when catholic and orthodox christians speak of praying to the saints, they are using 'prayer' merely as a synonym for 'ask' (think Shakespeare 'I pray thee', or 'bitte' which means both please and pray in German) -- and what they say to the saints you would almost certainly be fine with, if they were sitting in the same room.:)

It's always understood only God is to be worshipped, but his saints are loved and venerated and therefore often are asked for intercessory prayers, much as you or I might ask each other for prayers for some particular need.

What is interesting is this is a practice going back to the very earliest martyrs -- some of whose tombs have ancient 'prayers' or requests scratched into the walls, and/or written on pottery shards and dropped into crevices in the walls.

FWIW, when Catholics and Orthodox christians speak of praying to the saints, they are using 'prayer' merely as a synonym for 'ask' (think Shakespeare 'I pray thee', or 'bitte' which means both please and pray in German) -- and what they say to the saints you would almost certainly be fine with, if they were sitting in the same room.:)

It's always understood only God is to be worshipped, but his saints are loved and venerated and therefore often are asked for intercessory prayers, much as you or I might ask each other for prayers for some particular need.

What is interesting is this is a practice going back to the very earliest martyrs -- some of whose tombs have ancient 'prayers' or requests scratched into the walls, and/or written on pottery shards and dropped into crevices in the walls.

FWIW, when Catholics and Orthodox christians speak of praying to the saints, they are using 'prayer' merely as a synonym for 'ask' (think Shakespeare 'I pray thee', or 'bitte' which means both please and pray in German) -- and what they say to the saints you would almost certainly be fine with, if they were sitting in the same room.:) It's always understood only God is to be worshipped, but his saints are loved and venerated and therefore often are asked for intercessory prayers, much as you or I might ask each other for prayers for some particular need.

What is interesting is this is a practice going back to the very earliest martyrs -- some of whose tombs have ancient 'prayers' or requests scratched into the walls, and/or written on pottery shards and dropped into crevices in the walls.