Prayers For The Dead? What? - Psalm 115:17

  
They are dead, they will not live; they are shades, they will not arise; to that end you have visited them with destruction and wiped out all remembrance of them. -  Isaiah 26:14

    There are so many analogies regarding praying for the dead and each one represents a missed or lost opportunity. From shutting the barn door after the horses have run out, to the old adage, “Too little, too late.” Praying for the dead should be added to those arcane idioms. The futility of such prayers cannot be emphasized enough. There are three considerations one should make before blundering into a prayer for the recent dead.
1)         Did we pray for them when they were alive? I don’t mean while they were struggling with mortality on their death beds. I mean during their lives! While they, like we, were touting their autonomy, independence, and their personal power, did we ever ask God to bless them in their ignorance and bring light to their clouded eyes? Do we even pray for ourselves?
“. . . praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” - Ephesians 6:18.
2)         If we did pray for them in life or in death, who exactly were we praying to? “Which god” were we praying to? Was it a god of our own imaginings, a god of our own design? Maybe a composite god drawn from some mixture of Native American / Eastern Religion / Mythical Storybook gods, some convoluted Unitarian goulash. Exactly which god are we talking about?  Because there are a lot of vain imaginings parading around in people’s minds, calling itself “god.” And if that’s the god we are all praying to, our prayers are falling on deaf ears!  There is but one true God. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” - Exodus 20:2-3.
3)        The spiritual condition a man or woman dies in determines their eternity now and forever. After physical death it is too late for prayers. No matter what denomination you claim for yourself: no prayers for the dead will be heard! “But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who ‘will render to each one according to his deeds.’” - Romans 2:5-6.
    There are three alternatives to the above considerations:
1)         If we want to affect the people we care about in this life, we must pray for them NOW, while they are alive! Why in heaven’s name would we wait until they die? Think about it. It’s not rocket science! People who are dead have no need for prayers. This is why it is so important to pray here and now, for others as well as for ourselves. How often and how much should we pray? “pray without ceasing” - 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
2)         I get hoarse repeating this truth, “There is but one holy God, the God of the Bible!” If we’re praying to anyone else, our water bucket has a hole in it. And at the end of a long day’s journey back and forth to the well, we’re still going to die of thirst! “but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”- John 4:14.
3)         After one passes from this earthly shroud, they are gone. The corporeal body that housed envy, lust, hatred, and every other kind of sin is now and forever gone as we knew it. As I stated before, their spiritual state at the time of their death determines their final place in eternity. Those who died, having never come to Christ, are beyond the benefit of prayer. Prayer cannot help them; nothing can help them! “I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” - John 8:24. 
    On the other hand, those who died with faith in Christ Jesus as their Lord and Savior have no need for prayers; they are already in Paradise. “Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.’” - Luke 23:42-43.
    Yes, there have been more than a few deathbed confessions of faith but our hearts should weep for the man, woman, or child who doesn’t know enough about Jesus Christ to seek repentance! This is why praying for the dead is fruitless and praying for the living is of the utmost importance. Let us all remember the prayer of the tax collector: “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” - Luke 18:13.
    Muslims pray for their dead; Christians shouldn’t! Prayer is reserved for the living, not the dead. We must pray now, both for our loved ones and ourselves. We must pray now! “For He says: ‘In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” - 2 Corinthians 6:2. For those of you who only think about God at someone’s funeral, I urge you to stop it immediately and start to think about God in both your and your loved ones lives daily! Our glorious and loving Father in heaven hears only the prayers of and for the living.