Jots and Tittles and other Random Things

On Praying for the Dead - my opinion only TUYC - Nov. 2nd

Prayer prompt:
Pray for those who are homebound.

Blog prompt:
When I asked Google what the difference was between All Saints day (Nov. 1st) and All Souls Day (Nov. 2nd) in the Google search bar, this is the answer that came up first.

All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day are two Christian holidays that honor the dead in different ways. All Saints' Day, celebrated on November 1, is the day to venerate all the men and women who are canonized by the church12. All Souls' Day, celebrated on November 2, is the day to offer prayers to those in purgatory23. All Saints' Day marks the spiritual maturity of every Christian, while All Souls' Day is for souls13. These two holidays are connected to Halloween, which is the eve of All Saints' Day3.

What does the Bible teach about praying to the dead?



First, I am glad to have the information. I knew that All Saints' Day came after Halloween, but wasn't aware of All Souls' Day. I wasn't sure how to address this topic, but found an article that I believe states my opinion.

Praying for the dead is not a biblical concept. Our prayers have no bearing on someone once he or she has died. The reality is that, at the point of death, one’s eternal destiny is confirmed. Either he is saved through faith in Christ and is in heaven where he is experiencing rest and joy in God’s presence, or he is in torment in hell. The story of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar provides us with a vivid illustration of this truth. Jesus plainly used this story to teach that after death the unrighteous are eternally separated from God, that they remember their rejection of the gospel, that they are in torment, and that their condition cannot be remedied (Luke 16:19-31)

Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/praying-for-the-dead.html