Protestant Couple Asks: Should We Pray to Saints… or Only to Jesus? | Sam Shamoun

A Protestant couple wrestles with one of the biggest “crossroads” questions: is praying to saints biblical—or is it crossing a line away from Jesus? Sam Shamoun responds by challenging the language of “praying to the dead,” showing why Scripture describes believers in Christ as truly alive, and connecting this to the communion of saints. The conversation brings in Hebrews 11–12 (the “cloud of witnesses”), Revelation’s imagery of prayer and worship, and what it means for Christians across Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox traditions to ask others to intercede—on earth and in heaven. If you’ve heard “go straight to Jesus” but still ask your pastor, spouse, or friends to pray, this will force you to rethink what intercession actually means. If you believe Christians pray for each other on earth… why assume it stops in heaven? Timestamps 0:00 - Intro — saints alive; why pray?; core question 1:18 - Saints aren’t dead — body vs spirit; perfected; Scriptures 2:20 - What “saint” means — set apart; holy; levels of sanctity 4:38 - Canonized saints — strict criteria; miracles; why it matters 6:35 - “Go straight to Jesus?” — Protestants ask prayers; intercession logic 8:57 - Rich man & Abraham — chasm explained; appeals to Abraham 14:38 - Holiness texts — separation from sin 23:38 - Alive in Christ — Revelation 6 souls 29:34 - Hebrews 11 to 12 — cloud of witnesses 47:05 - Heavenly Jerusalem — church in heaven 🔔 Subscribe for more bold biblical truths that stir your soul. Hebrews 12:1–2 — Scripture says we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, so we should lay aside sin and run with endurance, fixing our eyes on Jesus, who endured the cross for the joy set before Him so we don’t grow weary and lose heart. #samshamoun #bible #biblestudy #christian