The holy scriptures teach that the saints are not dead, but are fully alive in Jesus Christ, who is life itself (John 11:25; John 14:6)
The holy scriptures teach that the saints worship God, sing hymns, play instruments, make requests to Christ to avenge their martyrdom, and offer prayers for the saints on earth (Rev. 4:10, 5:8, 6:9-11).
Intercession is taught in the holy scriptures, here are some examples,
In a dream, God commanded King Abimelech to ask Abraham to intercede for him: “For [Abraham] is a prophet and he will pray for you, so you shall live” (Gen. 20:7).
When the Lord is angry with Job’s friends because they did not speak rightly about God, he tells them, “Let my servant Job pray for you because I will accept his [prayer], lest I make a terror on you” (Job 42:8).
God did not say "pray directly to me and I will hear you, you do not need anybody on Earth to pray for you", though some here have argued that is the case.
And asking others to pray for you is also taught by example in the holy scriptures. Here are some examples,
“I exhort you, brothers, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to strive with me in prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the disobedient in Judaea and that my ministry may be acceptable to the saints in Jerusalem, so that in the joy coming to you through the will of God I may rest with you” (Rom. 15:30-32).
“Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects” (James 5:16-17).
The holy scriptures encourage Christians to approach the saints (in heaven): “But you have approached Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and myriads of angels, and the assembly and church of the firstborn who have been enrolled in heaven, and God the judge of all, and spirits of righteous ones who have been made perfect, and Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood which speaks better than that of Abel” (Heb. 12:22-24).
The prayers of the saints (both in Earth and in heaven) are offered to God by an angel according to the scriptures: Revelation 8:3 - And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer [it] with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 - And the smoke of the incense, [which came] with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.
And the man, Jesus Christ, makes intercession for the saints on Earth who are encouraged by that knowledge to pray to him for that purpose: Hebrews 7:25 - Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
No one need ask for the intercession of the saints in heaven but for those who do there is ample teaching in the holy scriptures to encourage them in that holy calling.
Those who eschew it are free to do so.
God have mercy on us all.
