Prayer as Imitation of Christ's Love and Sacrifice
Prayer, as "converse with God," involves direct address and the pouring out of the soul [1]. For Christians, this act is deeply connected to imitating Christ's love and sacrifice. The Apostle Paul exhorted believers to "be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ" [4], and this imitation extends to the practice of prayer, particularly in its intercessory and self-sacrificial dimensions.
Jesus himself provided the ultimate example of prayer. He taught his disciples a model prayer, often called the Lord's Prayer, which encapsulates a wide range of spiritual needs in a simple form [2, 5]. This prayer, while a comprehensive type of universal prayer, does not explicitly mention the atonement or the Holy Spirit's offices, but its spirit is guided by Christ's prayers in Gethsemane and John 17 [5]. Jesus regularly prayed, demonstrating this obedience even as the Son of God [10].
Christ's love for the Father and for his Church was manifested in his actions, including praying for his enemies and giving himself for humanity [7]. This self-sacrificial love is a key aspect of Christ's example that believers are called to imitate [7]. In prayer, this imitation is evident in intercession for others. Christ set an example of intercessory prayer, praying for his disciples and even for those who crucified him [6]. Believers are commanded to offer intercessory prayers for kings, those in authority, ministers, the Church, all saints, and indeed all people, including persecutors and enemies [6]. Paul himself requested that brethren strive together with him in prayers for him [3].
The concept of imitating God, particularly in love and forgiveness, is also emphasized in Christian teaching. Because God has forgiven believers through Christ, they are called to be "followers of God" or "imitators of him" [12]. This imitation involves becoming concerned about the needs of others and unselfishly giving time, effort, prayer, and even one's life to meet those needs, reflecting Christ's self-sacrifice [9]. The Lord's Prayer itself serves as a model for disciples to follow, contrasting with the "vain repetition of pagan prayers" through its simplicity and direct address to God as Father [8, 11].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Prayer — Is converse with God; the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation, but in direct address to him. Prayer may be oral or mental, occasional or constant, ejaculatory or formal. It is a "beseeching the Lord" (Ex. 32:11); "pouring out the soul before the Lord" (1 Sam. 1:15); "praying and crying to heaven" (2 Chr. 32:20); "seeking unto God and making supplication" (Job 8:5); "drawing near to God" (Ps. 73:28); "bowing the knees" (Eph. 3:14). Prayer presupposes a belief in the personality of God, his ability and willingness to hold inter”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Lords Prayer — the prayer which Jesus taught his disciples. (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4) "In this prayer our Lord shows his disciples how an infinite variety of wants and requests can be compressed into a few humble petitions. It embodies every possible desire of a praying heart, a whole world of spiritual requirements; yet all in the most simple, condensed and humble form, resembling, in this respect, a pearl on which the light of heaven plays."--Lange. "This prayer contains four great general sentiments, which constitute the very soul of religion,--sentiments which”
- Romans “Romans 15:30 (YLT) — And I call upon you, brethren, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in the prayers for me unto God,”
- 1 Corinthians “1 Corinthians 11:1 (NASB) — Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Lord's Prayer — The name given to the only form of prayer Christ taught his disciples (Matt. 6:9-13). The closing doxology of the prayer is omitted by Luke (11:2-4), also in the R.V. of Matt. 6:13. This prayer contains no allusion to the atonement of Christ, nor to the offices of the Holy Spirit. "All Christian prayer is based on the Lord's Prayer, but its spirit is also guided by that of His prayer in Gethsemane and of the prayer recorded John 17. The Lord's Prayer is the comprehensive type of the simplest and most universal prayer."”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Prayer, Intercessory — Christ set an example of -- Lu 22:32; 23:34; Joh 17:9-24. Commanded -- 1Ti 2:1; Jas 5:14,16. Should be offered up for Kings. -- 1Ti 2:2. All in authority. -- 1Ti 2:2. Ministers. -- 2Co 1:11; Php 1:19. The Church. -- Ps 122:6; Isa 62:6,7. All saints. -- Eph 6:18. All men. -- 1Ti 2:1. Masters. -- Ge 24:12-14. Servants. -- Lu 7:2,3. Children. -- Ge 17:18; Mt 15:22. Friends. -- Job 42:8. Fellow-countrymen. -- Ro 10:1. The sick. -- Jas 5:14. Persecutors. -- Mt 5:44. Enemies among whom we dwell. -- Jer 29:7. Those who envy us. -- Nu 12:13. Those who ”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Love of Christ, The — To the Father -- Ps 91:14; Joh 14:31. To his church -- Song 4:8,9; 5:1; Joh 15:9; Eph 5:24. To those who love him -- Pr 8:17; Joh 14:21. Manifested in his Coming to seek the lost. -- Lu 19:10. Praying for his enemies. -- Lu 23:34. Giving himself for us. -- Ga 2:20. Dying for us. -- Joh 15:13; 1Jo 3:16. Washing away our sins. -- Re 1:5. Interceding for us. -- Heb 7:25; 9:24. Sending the Spirit. -- Ps 68:18; Joh 16:7. Rebukes and chastisements. -- Re 3:19. Passes knowledge -- Eph 3:19. To be imitated -- Joh 13:34; 15:12; Eph 5:2; 1Jo 3:16. To sain”
- Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 6:9: 6:9-13 The Lord’s Prayer is similar in form to a common Jewish prayer (the qaddish). Jesus gave this prayer to his followers as a succinct expression of their new faith. 6:9 Pray like this: In contrast to the vain repetition of pagan prayers (6:7-8), “the Lord’s Prayer” is a model of simplicity. • Jews rarely addressed God as Father, but Jesus did so in every prayer but one (Mark 15:34). • may your name be kept holy: God’s name is profaned by the sin of his people (Isa 29:22-24; Jer 34:15-16; Ezek 39:7; Amos 2:7).”
- 1 John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 John 3:16: 3:16-18 Christ’s example shows that real love involves self-sacrifice. We do this by becoming truly concerned about the needs of others and by unselfishly giving time, effort, prayer, possessions, and even our lives to supply those needs.”
- Luke (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Luke 11:1: Prayer is one of the great laws of natural religion. That man is a brute, is a monster, that never prays, that never gives glory to his Maker, nor feels his favour, nor owns his dependence upon him. One great design therefore of Christianity is to assist us in prayer, to enforce the duty upon us, to instruct us in it, and encourage us to expect advantage by it. Now here, I. We find Christ himself praying in a certain place, probably where he used to pray, Luk 11:1. As God, he was prayed to; as man, he prayed; and, though he was a Son, yet learned he this obedience. ”
- Luke (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Luke 11:2: 11:2-4 This is how you should pray: The “Lord’s Prayer” was a model for Jesus’ disciples to follow.”
- Ephesians (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Ephesians 5:1: Here we have the exhortation to mutual love, or to Christian charity. The apostle had been insisting on this in the former chapter, and particularly in the last verses of it, to which the particle therefore refers, and connects what he had said there with what is contained in these verses, thus: "Because God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven you, therefore be you followers of God, or imitators of him;" for so the word signifies. Pious persons should imitate the God whom they worship, as far as he has revealed himself as imitable by them. They must conform themsel”