Does the Bible talk about praying to angels? Is praying to angels wrong?

TL;DR

The Bible is clear that prayer belongs to God alone, and praying to angels is a form of idolatry. Because of Jesus, we can confidently approach God directly, with the Holy Spirit interceding for us—not angels.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Scripture makes it clear that we must not commit idolatry (Exodus 20:3; 5), and one of the core aspects of idolatry is praying to anyone or anything other than God. An example of how important this is is shown in the accounts of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; they risked their lives for the sake of worshiping and praying to God alone (Daniel 3; Daniel 6). The New Testament also condemns idolatry. During His wilderness temptation, Jesus is tempted by Satan to bow down to him in exchange for authority over all nations. Jesus however refused this offer, making it clear that He would only serve God (Matthew 4:10). Moreover, Jesus made a way for us who are God’s children to boldly approach Him in prayer (Hebrews 4:14-16) so angels are not our mediators. Additionally, we do not need angels to intercede for us because the Holy Spirit who fulfills this role (Romans 8:26-27). The Bible shows that angels serve as messengers of God (Luke 1:11-20; Acts 7:52-53), protectors (2 Kings 6:13-17; Daniel 6:20-23), and ministering spirits (Hebrews 1:14), but nowhere does it indicate we should pray to them. Scripture tells us to pray to God, not angels (Matthew 6:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:17).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

In Exodus 20:3, God told the Israelites, "You shall have no other gods before me." Verse 5 adds, "You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God." This is still in place for us today. If we are praying to angels, we are certainly treating them like God and participating in idolatry.

In the book of Daniel, his three friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were commanded to worship the king's statue or face death in a fiery furnace. They were so committed to not worship or pray to anyone other than God that they were willing to die for it. When the king had them thrown into the furnace, God showed His approval of their faith by rescuing them unharmed (Daniel 3).

Daniel also faced death for praying only to God. To disqualify Daniel from government leadership, his opponents recommended the king sign a law that people could only pray to the king for the next thirty days. Those who prayed to any other god would be thrown into the lion's den. Daniel refused to pray to the king or to stop praying to God. Again, God showed His approval of Daniel's choice by miraculously saving him from hungry lions (Daniel 6).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

The devil offered Jesus authority over all the nations of the world if He would bow to him. Jesus replied, "You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve" (Matthew 4:10). Jesus clearly taught God alone was worthy of worship and prayers.

When the disciples of Jesus asked Him how to pray, He began with the words, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name" (Matthew 6:9). At no time does Jesus promote or allow prayer to anyone or anything else other than God.

Angels are God's servants, but they cannot intercede for us before God. The Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf (Romans 8:26-27).

Our prayers can be made directly to God. Because of Jesus, we need neither a human nor an angelic being to mediate between us and God. Hebrews 4:14-16 assures us, "Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Roman Catholic tradition encourages praying to angels. This view is based on Tobit 12:15, a book found in the Apocrypha that is accepted in the Catholic Bible but not by Protestants. The verse states, "I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels who present the prayers of the saints and enter into the presence of the glory of the Holy One" (RSV). This is often combined with Revelation 8:2-4 that mentions angels and the prayers of saints from the hand of the angel before God. However, this passage does not state people are to pray to angels. Ultimately, as God’s children, we must be loyal to the one true God who is alone worthy of receiving our prayers.

UNDERSTAND

Scripture forbids praying to anyone or anything other than God because doing so is a form of idolatry.

Jesus, not angels, is our mediator, so we pray to the Father on the basis of what the Son has done.

The Holy Spirit, not angels, intercedes for us in prayer.

REFLECT

How do you view angels with regard to your faith?

How do you ensure your prayer life aligns with what the Bible teaches about prayer?

What impact does knowing that, through Christ, you can approach God boldly in prayer?

ENGAGE

Why might people be drawn to praying to angels? What sort of faith or theological problems does that inclination uncover?

Besides praying to angels, what other types of idolatry are present in today’s society?

In conversations with those who pray to angels, how can we effectively explain the problems with that view?