that these supplications and forms of seeking help that you mentioned in your question are major Shirk. This is because they entail worshipping others besides Allah and requesting things from others who are not capable of fulfilling these needs such as the dead and the absent. This is worse than the Shirk of the earlier generation because they used to associate others with Allah in times of prosperity but in the case of adversity, they devoted their worship to Allah because they knew that He was Able to rescue them from hardships
gratitude is to believe in Him and fulfill His ordinances with full obedience. Allah states in
If you disbelieve, then verily, Allâh is not in need of you; He likes not disbelief for His slaves. And if you are grateful (by being believers), He is pleased therewith for you.
AlBukhari related in his Sahih (book of authentic Hadiths) from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: O Messenger of Allah! Who is most lucky to be worthy of your intercession? The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: O Abu Hurayrah! It is he who said: There is no god but Allah sincerely from his heart or said: sincerely from his inner self.
It is reported in the Sahih from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated: Every prophet has a definitely answered invocation. Every prophet hastened in (making) his invocation, but I have reserved my invocation as intercession for my Ummah (nation) on the Day of Resurrection. It will include, if Allah so wills, whoever from Ummah dies associating nothing with Allah.
All the Ayahs and Hadiths that we mentioned indicate that worship is the sole right of Allah. It is not permissible to devote any act of worship to other than Allah such as prophets or others. Intercession is also the sole right of Allah as He states:
Say: "To Allâh belongs all intercession."
So no intercession of intercessors will be of any use to them.
There will be no friend, nor an intercessor for the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrongdoers), who could be given heed to.
Wrongdoing means Shirk when indefinitely uttered, as He states:
And it is the disbelievers who are the Zâlimûn (wrongdoers).
And (remember) when Luqmân said to his son when he was advising him: "O my son! Join not in worship others with Allâh. Verily joining others in worship with Allâh is a great Zûlm (wrong) indeed.
As for what you mentioned in your question that some Sufis use the following words in mosques:(O Allah, invoke peace and blessings on the one whom You made reason for revealing Your Mighty Secrets and the eminence of Your Merciful Lights..).
The answer is: Such words and their likes are kinds of exaggeration and overglorification which Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) warned against in the Hadithrelated by Muslim in his Sahihfrom `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stated: Ruined are those who are harsh in religion He said it thrice.
Imam Al Khattabi (may Allah be merciful with him) said: "those who are harsh in religion" refers to those who go deep into things and exaggerate in searching for it such as theologians who delve into matters which their minds cannot accurately grasp .
Abu AlSa`adat ibn AlAthir said: They are the people who exaggerate in speech from the end of their throats. The word is taken from Nat` which means the upper part of the mouth. It is used to signify any speech or action uttered in such manner.
It is evident from the clarification of these two linguists that this form of invoking peace and blessings on the Prophet (peace be upon him) is of this kind that is forbidden. Every Muslim should know quite well the form related from the Prophet (peace be upon him) regarding invoking peace and blessings upon him, which is sufficient.For example, AlBukhari and Muslim related in their Sahih,the wordings are of AlBukhari, from Ka`b ibn `Ujrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) said: O Messenger of Allah, we have been commanded to invoke peace and blessings
upon you; how should we do so? He said: Say: "O Allah, invoke peace on Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You invoked peace on Ibrahim (Abraham) and the family of Abraham. Verily, You are Praiseworthy and AllMajestic. O Allah, invoke blessings on Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You invoked blessings on Abraham and the family of Abraham. Verily, You are Praiseworthy and AllMajestic."
It is related in the Two Sahihfrom Abu Humayd AlSa`idy (may Allah be pleased with him) They asked: O Messenger of Allah! How should we pray for you? The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Say! O Allah, Have mercy on Muhammad, the family of Muhammad, his wives, and offspring as You have mercy on the family of Abraham. [O Allah], invoke Blessings upon Muhammad, his wives, and offspring as You blessed the family of Abraham in the worlds. Verily, You are Praiseworthy and AllMajestic.
In Sahih Muslim from Abu Mas`ud AlAnsari (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: Bashir ibn Sa`d said: O Messenger of Allah, Allah has ordered us to ask for blessings on you, then how to do that? The Messenger of Allah kept silent and then said: Say as I taught you, O Allah, Have mercy on Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You had mercy on the family of Ibrahim and send blessings to Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You sent blessings to the family of Ibrahim among humankind for You are Praiseworthy and All Majestic.
These words and their like that are authentically reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) should be learned by Muslims to use in invoking peace and blessings on the Prophet (peace be upon him), because the Messenger (peace be upon him) was most knowledgeable of what is proper to be used in invoking peace and blessings on him. He was the most knowledgeable of the words to be used as a right of his Lord. As for the exaggerated and innovated words that imply untrue meanings such as words you mentioned in your question, they must not be used because of the exaggeration and overglorification, which may be misinterpreted. They are also contrary to the words which the Prophet (peace be upon him) chose and guided his nation to; he was the most knowledgeable and the furthest from overglorification (peace be upon him).
I hope that the proofs which we mentioned explain the reality of Tawhid, the reality of Shirk, and the difference between the beliefs of the early polytheists and the late one