“Praying For The Dead”

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

   Is it wrong to pray for someone who is dead?  I was told the Bible says it is wrong, and I don't remember reading that.  Thank you.
Sincerely,
Morbid Curiosity

Dear Morbid Curiosity,

1 Jn 5:16 is probably the verse you are thinking of, but that doesn’t really deal with dead people; it pertains to people who are purposefully turning their backs on the Lord.  We are told not to request that God forgive people who aren’t seeking to live faithfully.

Having said that, your question deals with people that are already dead, and that is an entirely different issue.  Heb 9:27 says that people die and then face the judgment.  There is no room for someone’s fate to be changed once they die.  If your goal through prayer is to make it so someone who already died can go to heaven instead of hell, that won’t work.   SB

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