Prayer to God Alone: A Call for Spiritual Discernment Using Pascal's Wager

Prayer to God Alone: A Call for Spiritual Discernment Using Pascal's Wager 

J. Neil Daniels 

The question of whether Christians should pray to Mary and saints goes beyond denominational tradition; indeed, it strikes at the core of biblical worship with profound eternal stakes. Scripture consistently presents prayer as sacred communion reserved solely for God, accessible through our one Mediator, Jesus Christ (1 Tim 2:5). While Catholic tradition promotes seeking Mary and saints as intercessors, we must carefully weigh: could even well-intentioned practices unintentionally violate the First Commandment?

Blaise Pascal's renowned wager regarding God's existence provides a logical framework for approaching this theological dilemma. When eternal consequences hang in the balance, wisdom compels us to choose the path most firmly anchored in biblical revelation. Consider this application of Pascal's reasoning:

If I direct my prayers and worship solely to God through Christ, as Scripture clearly commands (Matt 4:10; John 14:6), and this is correct, I have honored God faithfully and guarded against idolatry. If I am mistaken, and God permits prayers to Mary and saints, I have still approached Him with sincere obedience through His designated Mediator.

However, if you pray to Mary and saints, yet Scripture prohibits this—if what seems pious is actually misplaced worship—you risk the serious sin of diverting glory from the Creator to created beings (Rom 1:25). This would not be innocent devotion but spiritual unfaithfulness with eternal consequences.

Thus, both prudence and biblical fidelity call for exclusive prayer to God through Christ. This path ensures spiritual safety, while extending prayer beyond precisely defined divine boundaries inevitably crosses into territory Scripture explicitly forbids.