What Shall I Do To Be Saved?

By Rev. Dr. Curian Kaniyamparambil

Question 110. Why should we pray for the dead?

We pray for the dead for the same reasons as when praying for a living person! Why can't living individuals pray for themselves? Why should we pray for others? The reason is, Jesus has asked us to pray for others. (He did not say to pray only for the people alive!) The apostles also asked us to pray for others. Examples (Luke 22:32, 23:34, John 17:19-24)

We are obliged to pray for:

All human beings: Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men (1 Tim 2:1). This does not say that prayers should be limited to the people alive. It says all people, dead or alive.
For Administrators and Leaders: For Kings and all who are in authority (1 Tim 2:2)
For people who are against you: for all had forsaken me. Do not hold this against them. (2 Tim 4:16)
Pray for the people who ministers or works for Jesus Christ (2 Cori 1:11, Phil 1:19)
Pray for the church members (Eph 1:16, 3:14-19, Philip 1:4)
For the sick and those in sufferings (James 5:14)

Is it fair that one prays for a person while he is suffering and on his death bed (during the last moments of his life) and stops all prayers the moment that person dies! Which is more important, his breath or his soul? As Christians we are concerned about his soul.

We have seen from the previous questions that people who have died in Jesus Christ are blessed, conscious, and that they live with Jesus Christ and praise Him. They are invisible to us, but can see us, because they are with Him. In the Lord's sight, we as well as the dead are alive. Thus we pray for the dead who are still alive before God.

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