Jesus' special family includes members who have died.
They are upgraded members, finally-arrived members,
with full membership, in Heaven

In Heaven they pray for us,
just as we pray for one another

This understanding of "The Communion of Saints" is not held by some Protestant Christians,
maybe as a re-action to Catholics praying to Mary and other saints
more than to Jesus

Some Protestant Christians don't believe that people in Heaven
can pray for people on earth

My reply has been: "If you were to  migrate to another country,
would you stop communicating with your children, stop praying for them?"
Of course not.

These days we are coming to understand more clearly
that "Heaven" is not "somewhere up there",
but the other side of a veil all around us
...which is why Hebrews says "we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses"

Some people are given a glimpse of Heaven through the veil:
- Stephen, before he was stoned
- Paul 
- people who have "life after death", "near death", experiences

Jesus, please increase my awareness of being lovingly surrounded
by a great cloud of friends in Heaven

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Comments welcome here