The Blessed Virgin Mary

Praying to Mary & Her Queenship

‘Praying to’ Mary means asking her to pray for us — not worshiping her. As the mother of the King she is Queen Mother, and Scripture shows the queen mother interceding with the king. Her intercession is powerful precisely because it's united to Christ.

The short answer. We're not worshiping Mary — we're asking her to pray for us, the same as asking a friend to pray, except she's closer to Jesus than anyone. At Cana he did what she asked; ‘do whatever he tells you’ is still her whole message.

Cana: she intercedes, he acts

Mary notices the need, brings it to Jesus, and tells the servants ‘whatever he says to you, do it.’ He performs his first sign at her request. That is Marian intercession in miniature — she points always to her Son.

John 2:3–5When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no wine.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do with you and me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Whatever he says to you, do it.”

The Queen Mother intercedes with the King

In the Davidic kingdom the gebirah (queen mother) sat at the king's right hand and brought petitions to him. Bathsheba comes to Solomon and he says, ‘Ask on, my mother, for I will not refuse you.’ Jesus is the son of David; his mother is the Queen Mother of his kingdom.

1 Kings 2:19–20Bathsheba therefore went to King Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. The king rose up to meet her and bowed himself to her, and sat down on his throne and caused a throne to be set for the king’s mother; and she sat on his right hand. Then she said, “I ask one small petition of you; don’t deny me.” The king said to her, “Ask on, my mother, for I will not deny you.”

All generations call her blessed

Mary herself prophesies her unique honor in the Church. Calling her ‘blessed’ and asking her prayers is simply fulfilling her own Spirit-inspired words.

Luke 1:48for he has looked at the humble state of his servant. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.

Common objections

“1 Timothy 2:5 — there's only ONE mediator, Jesus.”

Right — one mediator by nature. Yet the very next verses tell us to intercede for one another. All Christian prayer for others is a sharing in Christ's one mediation, not a rival to it. Asking Mary to pray takes nothing from Jesus, just as asking a friend to pray doesn't.

1 Timothy 2:1–5I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and givings of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high places, that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

“Praying to the dead is necromancy (Deuteronomy 18).”

Necromancy is conjuring spirits for secret knowledge. Mary and the saints aren't dead — in Christ they're more alive than we are, for God ‘is not the God of the dead, but of the living.’ Asking them to pray is fellowship within the one Body of Christ.

Luke 20:38Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to him.”

Scripture quoted verbatim from the World English Bible (public domain).

All sixteen topics are free in the app — with the whole Bible one tap away.

Google Play App Store