Catholics consider Saints as mediators and role models They are saying saints pray for us but the Bible has not mentioned any such thing.

Bible does mention about elders in heaven offering our prayers to God (Revelation 5:8). Furthermore, as we look into the Bible as a whole and analyse the Biblical data presented there, we would be left with only one conclusion – the saints in heaven pray for us. So let’s look at what the Scripture has to offer for us.

The prayer that Jesus taught us – Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one (Matthew 6:11-13) – is not just a prayer aimed at one’s own well being but also of others. This is why praying for each other is a part of Christian life. The same can be seen in the writings of St. Paul where we see him asking others to pray for him and also assuring that he keeps others in his prayers (1 Timothy 2:1-4, Romans 15:30-32, Colossians 4:3, 2 Thessalonians 1:11). 

Why did St. Paul pray for others or asked them to pray for him and his ministry? Because he knew that though many they are one body in Christ (Romans 12:5) bound together with love (Hosea 11:4). It is this love, which makes one abide in God and God in him (1 John 4:16), that prompted Paul and which continues to prompt us today to pray for fellow human beings. 

This bond of love, which unites us into a single body in Christ, does not end with physical death (1 Corinthians 13:8, Romans 8:38) but continues to keep us one in Christ. If someone is to say that after death one gets separated from the body of Christ, he would be giving unwarranted power to death making the declaration – Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? (1 Corinthians 15:55) – completely meaningless.

Therefore it would only be logical to say that just the way love prompts us to pray for others, those in heaven too are prompted to pray for the faithful on earth by the same love which unites us all (both living and dead).

Some might have a question or two regarding whether the state of affairs in heaven and on earth are different so as to say that the saints in heaven need not pray for us even if we are joined together into a single body of Christ. Christ makes it very clear that it is not the case by asking his disciples to pray – Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).

This why Catholics believe that the saints in heaven indeed pray for the faithful on earth and by doing so help them in their journey to reach their eternal abode, heaven. As to how the saints in heaven can hear our requests to them, refer here.