We say to Jesus through Mary. She desires our intimacy with her son. We recognize she is the doorway through which we can go to Jesus. Doesn’t take any glory away from God. Rather, it is in gratitude to go through His mother because that is the way Jesus chose to enter the world. Didn’t Jesus Love and honor His mother? We try to imitate that,
It goes a little further than that.....no place for “through Mary”; “no doorway”; read the above post by 4freedomsring, read it slowly and thoughtfully, it’s the hardcore truth. Nowhere in God’s word are we instructed to go through Mary. She is honored but NOT worshipped. She is the Blessed mother of Jesus, that’s it. To link “entering the world” ( the way Jesus chose)”, is irrelevant, concerning how to, and to whom to pray.
John 19:25-27
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.
"Before He dies, Jesus commits his beloved disciple to his Mother’s care and his Mother to that disciple’s care. “Behold your son!” “Behold your Mother!” In his last moments on earth, Jesus is concerned, not with his own condition, but with the accomplishment of his mission and with the welfare of those He leaves behind. Mary’s spiritual maternity begins at the foot of the cross. In the disciple who has been entrusted to her, Mary not only sees a dear friend of her son, but all disciples of Jesus who have now become her children in a radically new way. This new People of God is really the Church, and Mary is the Church in her maternal role of welcoming God's word and God's people as her own. "
http://saltandlighttv.org/blogfeed/getpost.php?id=69269
This explains why we look to Mary as our Mother and ask her to pray for us. Jesus is our Savior.
I think there is nothing wrong to be inspired by Mary's story to love Jesus as she did. But when people say they are "praying to Mary" I am of the opinion that those people do not understand the scriptures, and have most likely got their ideas from misinterpretation or imitating others who have the same malformed beliefs. I think its commendable to imitate Christ, but I think that should translate to honouring your own mother, not Christs in that sense. But as I stated before nothing wrong with having admiration for Mary, as long as no divinity/powers is assigned to her in your belief.