I will give you a fragment from two acceptable article on internet (i mention that worshipping saints is not a good word, better said is veneration of the saints, because worshipping is only for God, and that there are many examples of people who prayed for others to God, so the saints are a good hope for us, because they entered in heaven, they now are purified and God's listen to them):
Veneration of Saints and Worship of God.
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In the Orthodox Church the worship (latreia) given to God is completely different from the honor (tim) of love (agape) and respect, or even veneration (proskynesis), “paid to all those endowed with some dignity” (St. John Chrysostom, Hom. III, 40).
The Orthodox honor the saints to express their love and gratitude to God, who has “perfected” the saints. As St. Symeon the New Theologian writes, “God is the teacher of the Prophets, the co-traveller with the Apostles, the power of the Martyrs, the inspiration of the Fathers and Teachers, the perfection of all Saints … ”
Throughout early Christianity, Christians customarily met in the places where the martyrs had died, to build churches in their honor, venerate their relics and memory, and present their example for imitation by others.
Interesting information on this subject derives from the Martyrdom of St. Polycarp (ch. 17-18), according to which the early Christians reverently collected the remains of the saints and honored them “more than precious stones.” They also met on the day of their death to commemorate “their new birthday, the day they entered into their new life, in Heaven.”
To this day the Orthodox have maintained the liturgical custom of meeting on the day of the saint’s death, of building churches honoring their names, and of paying special respect to their relics and icons. The Seventh Ecumenical Council (787 A.D.), in summarizing this practice of the Church, declares that “we adore and respect God our Lord; and those who have been genuine servants of our common Lord we honor and venerate because they have the power to make us friends with God the King of all.”
The earliest christian churches(from first century Ad itself) were built atop the tombs of the martyrs and saints. By third century AD(ie 200-300 AD) the feasts of saints started to be observed.
What does “prayer to the saints” mean?
I. What does “prayer” mean? Generally six Greek words for prayer as translated in different versions, fall into 5 general categories:
a. supplications/intercessions, James 5:5 Prayer of faith will save the sick. I Thess. 5:25 Pray for us, 2 Cor. 9:14 prayer on behalf of the Corinthians, etc.
b. beseeching, Lk. 1:13, 2:37 “fasting and prayer night and day”, Rom. 10:1 “heart’s desire”
James 5:6 effectual fervent prayer.
c. petitions, requests/desires Matt. 21:22 Ask in prayer, believing.
d. worship, Matt 21:13 “house of prayer”, Acts 2:42 “continuing in THE prayers and breaking of bread”, Acts 3:1 “hour of prayer in the temple”, I Cor. 7:5 “fasting and prayer”
“Prayer” is JUST ASKING: Luke 14:18 “I pray thee excuse me”, Acts 10:48 Cornelius prayed Peter to tarry, Acts 16:9 Macedonian call “Praying to Paul saying, “Come!”, Acts 24:4. Paul to Felix: I pray you give us a brief hearing”. The King James translates this word accurately. Most modern translations “fudge” it, but this is technically correct. “Pray” merely means to “ask”or request something of someone.
What do Orthodox Christians mean when we say “Prayer to the saints”?
WE DO NOT MEAN WORSHIP! “Praying to the saints” is merely requesting/asking them to intercede for us, pray for us. THIS IS BIBLICAL LANGUAGE! BUT…if it offends, we can use non-biblical language and just say we are asking the saints for their prayers. (We will deal with whether THAT is Biblical later….)
The hymnology of the Church expresses our relationship to the saints: The hymns about the saints almost always end with “Intercede for us to Christ our God to save our souls”. Note that we do not worship them, or equate them to Christ or God, but merely ask that they intercede for us TO CHRIST, or in modern language, we ask them to pray for us just as we ask any other good Christian friend or pastor to pray for us.
Intercession of Archangel Raphael
“I can now tell you that when you, Tobit, and Sarah prayed, it was I who presented and read the record of your prayer before the Glory of the Lord; and I did the same thing when you used to bury the dead.
When you did not hesitate to get up and leave your dinner in order to go and bury the dead,
I was sent to put you to the test. At the same time, however, God commissioned me to heal you and your daughter-in-law Sarah.
I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who enter and serve before the Glory of the Lord.”—Tobit 12: 12-15
Intercession in the Old Testament.
The Prophet Jeremiah prays for the people of Israel(many years after he had died the physical death and departed from material life):-
“What he saw was this: Onias, the former high priest, a good and virtuous man, modest in appearance, gentle in manners, distinguished in speech, and trained from childhood in every virtuous practice, was praying with outstretched arms for the whole Jewish community.
Then in the same way another man appeared, distinguished by his white hair and dignity, and with an air about him of extraordinary, majestic authority.
Onias then said of him, “This is God’s prophet Jeremiah, who loves his brethren and fervently prays for his people and their holy city.”—-2 Maccabees 15: 12-14
“Worship” is one thing, “Veneration” is another
We need to distinguish between these two different words, from the very beginning.
“Veneration” does not always imply “Worship”! It could imply worship, but it could also refer to an honorific bow. When a hotel porter bows to a guest, surely he isn’t actually worshipping the guest! He is merely honoring him, with a respectful bow. In the case of God, however, this respectful bow is also a gesture of worship.
When a Christian bows before one of God’s (sanctified) people, he is not worshipping that person; he is merely honoring that person as a person of God. In the same way, when he bows before the icon of a Saint, he is not worshipping the icon; he is paying homage to the person portrayed on it.
But : if the icon portrays the Lord Jesus Christ, then only is the portrayed person worshipped; not the image, but the actual person that it portrays.
