Do you pray for the dead?

[Dandelion]

Raised a Catholic, I used to always pray for the dead. Then I converted and became a Lutheran, and totally stopped praying for the dead. Now I think of myself as a Christian, who doesn't know whether to pray for the dead or not. I lean towards praying for them, at this point. I know Martin Luther removed books from the Bible, specifically, the Books of Macabees. In one of the books, soldiers were wearing some sign of believing in other gods, and when they died, they were prayed for.

I am sure it's best to err on the side of kindness. Just wondering what are some of your thoughts on this, in light of UR.

D.                       

[Cocoon]

following because I am interested too

[Ross]

1 Cor 15;28-57 seems to talk about the concept.

1 John 3;14 " We know that we have crossed over from death to life because we love the brothers.
                    Whoever does not love remains in the realm of the dead."

I.M.O seems to infer that mankind is dead, even though alive physically, until being literally born of the spirit; the spirit of life being different to the holy spirit.
Personally explains why I never felt alive when attending church- even though dedicated and pursuing the path of righteousness.
Ergo the need to be born of the spirit- born again.

So, I.M.O praying for the dead is actually praying for those around you who you feel led to pray for.

2 Tim 2;25,26 " In meekness instructing those who oppose you, if perhaps God might grant them repentance leading to a knowledge
                        of the truth, and they might turn to soberness out of the snare of the devil, having been taken alive by him in order
                         to do his will."

[sheila]

all in 1st Adam  are dead in trespass...but the spirit of Christ is a quickening[life giving] spirit.One way we are as dead to God...even

though we are alive in the flesh..is by not exhibiting His character/truth and qualities of His image.Instead exhibiting the demeanor of

the corrupt one/adversary.


      I THANK GOD THAT THE DEAD SHALL ALL LIVE UNTO HIM,AND THE BLESSED PROMISE AND PROVISION

   THAT ALL MEN SHALL BE RESURRECTED IN CHRIST'S IMAGE/LIKENESS AS SONS AND DAUGHTERS.

   I REJOICE THAT THOSE WHO HAD SUCH TRIBULATION IN THEIR FLESH WHILE HERE ON EARTH ARE IN THE BOSOM OF THE

   FATHER.  And I thank and praise Him for delivering us all from evil..into the kingdom of the love of His son.

[DanielB]

I see no harm in it if you want to or feel it is a good thing to do.

I sometimes pray about past events if that counts. :) My reasoning is that God knows the future and knew the future since the beginning of the world so he would see prayers in the future and I can think of no reason why he would not answer them to the same degree and in the same way he answers prayer about the present and future. It is probably pointless to pray asking God to change known events of the past but I sometimes might pray for God to have conforted a dead animal I see on the side of the road or a person who went through some suffering for example.

It raises the questions of how/why prayer works(considering that God will always do the most loving thing and I can't imagine a prayer making God have more love/compassion on someone), how we ought to pray, and what to pray for. I just pray in the usual ways(thanking God, telling him how great I think he and his designs are, and praying for his help for me and others). I won't let my logic come in the way of praying for help since no human knows everything about how the world or logic works(it seems to help and if nothing else, it comforts me and keeps me focused in a positive way on what needs changing in my life).

[WhiteWings]

12 Sam 12

21 His advisers were amazed. "We don't understand you," they told him. "While the child was still living, you wept and refused to eat. But now that the child is dead, you have stopped your mourning and are eating again."

22 David replied, "I fasted and wept while the child was alive, for I said, 'Perhaps the Lord will be gracious to me and let the child live.' 23 But why should I fast when he is dead? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him one day, but he cannot return to me."

[Dandelion]

I ask about praying for the dead, in the sense that I wonder if it will help them on their continued journey or not.

We pray for people's spiritual and physical journey, while they are alive.....my question is, do my prayers continue to help them on their journey, after they die? This is why I revisit this issue, as a Christian Universalist.

In light of UR, it would seem that their journey on earth, is often continued after death, in the transformation of them from a creature whose own will is primary, into one whose will is now God's will. At least, for some. Perhaps some of us are ready for Heaven, after we leave here, having accepted the water and the Spirit, and surrendered our will to God's.

D.

[WhiteWings]

I ask about praying for the dead, in the sense that I wonder if it will help them on their continued journey or not.

And those verses answer that question very clearly.

[sheila]

 :thumbsup: ww yes they do...

[rosered]

 
I honestly was not going to say ANYTHING .

Because to be honest I dont know ????????

  But Jesus  words spoke to my heart   when he said, ''  Let the dead bury the dead,

you follow me   or go and proclaim the kingdom of God.'' speak life  to the dead ,,   speak  what the Spirit speaks to your heart  and share  this glorious news   and may the same joy come to them  that has come unto you ...

  For me and my faith , I am convinced   , upon the day of death  , being the last day on earth,
also  being a mortal human being  , we do fly away   !!!   I know Gods judgments are in the earth    ,, being the corrupt nature of mankind  in general and it  applies for  everyone born of woman under the same LAW OF GOD .  This same Word has applied throughout  the existence of   all  of mankind and is escalating .
What does and woman 3000 years ago whom has lost  a loved one to death   have in common   with a woman whom has just lost a child  to death  last week ?    Only that same pain and sorrow of a mothers heart  , this is what she can relate too  , not knowing them at all  or them knowing her now , But GOD KNOWS  everything  about them  and how to comfort  them in loss , this makes all of us draw closer to needing Him  , to help make sense of life ..........
Without GOD   this life really does not make any sense at all ...

I believe our search for God comes from the suffering ..

Knowing now   the anger is for a moment [ 70 years more or much less is temporary  compared to  eternity ]   a drop  of  the ocean  compared to the ocean as a whole ...  but His mercy endures forever ...

  Just as   the Psalms 90  states

7 For we are consumed by Your anger
and terrified by Your wrath.
8 You have set our iniquities before You,
our secret sins in the light of Your presence.
9 For all our days have passed away under Your wrath.
We spent our years like a sigh.
10 The span of our years is seventy
—or with strength, eighty—
yet at best they are trouble and sorrow.
For they are soon gone, and we fly away.
11 Who knows the power of Your anger?
Your fury leads to awe of you.


With great fear and amazement  , my sister was dying,  mortally  wounded   , she was able to    tell me and it STUCK with me  big time 
  When she looked down upon her body   , she  thought it was odd  to look at the  heap  left behind , but she was  still there  and was amazed    at what  was happening to her .
  She actually  felt the love of God  , and said  this and it  really   increased my faith in the power of  God s healing touch .

She said , I have never ever in all the years of my life so far  had  felt so loved  and such a calm peace .

To  me dying in our sins means dying in our humanity .

This  has multi meanings  and depths   that only God can and does   judge .

   In the grand scheme of things   , God said   though Christ  , That all manner of sins are forgiven us 
except blaspheming the HOLY SPIRIT ...

  This being the age under the law of sin and  death and the age to come, which is the grace of  Christ .
Our  faith is unto God not one another so much , because  we all are in different  stages and places of Spiritual  growth and  God warns us NOT  to  speak  ill of a brothers  or sisters  faith unto God .

  Only God can and does change our minds and hearts  and to me being mortal has very little to do with  anything Spiritual

Walking in the flesh and walking in the Spirit  are worlds apart .

So if we truly believe GOD IS LOVE  AND SPIRIT of TRUTH  ,  we than know God has SPOKEN correctly when He said I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE  , who will not live because of Him ?



24Martha replied, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies. 26And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"...

  :HeartThrob:

[rosered]

 :laughing7:

  Ps I just read a catchy  little  phrase   the other day , that made me think ,,,

Dont you just love that , things that make us stop and think on it a bit ..

  It went something like this  .
  Why is it  when we die , everyone says  ,RIP  or rest in peace  , when  in reality we are supposed to LIVE in peace
Are we not living , when we are resting in  Jesus peace ?  :dsunny:

[Cardinal]

 :cloud9: I do because of an experience that HE took me and some others through together regarding one who had passed on. Since then I discovered that the Jews pray for the dead for one year after passing, corporately, in synagogue, and I have done this too in the Messianic synagogue I attend.

The spirit returns to the One that sent it, but the soul of man stays trapped (for a season) in whatever it didn't overcome while still in a body. Death causes the separation of soul and spirit, and this is why death was the "punishment" in the garden.

And then we read later that the sword of the Spirit divides asunder soul from spirit.  :winkgrin: How about that? A "new" way for death to come; one that has been cleansed by motive, the motive of a pure heart (Father's). Agree with your adversary while you are in the way with him. Paul said, reckon yourselves dead, and the last enemy to be overcome is death. When there is no more need of separation because both are cleansed by Him, there will be no need for death, it's just His tool. Blessings to all this day.... :HeartThrob: