Moses, David, and Elijah are good examples of prayer in the Old Testament. The Catechism states: “Once the promise begins to be fulfilled (Passover, the Exodus, the gift of the Law, and the ratification of the covenant), the prayer of Moses becomes the most striking example of intercessory prayer, which will be fulfilled in ‘the one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.’” (CCC 2574) “From this intimacy with the faithful God, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, Moses drew strength and determination for his intercession. He does not pray for himself but for the people whom God made his own.” (CCC 2577)
Moses is a man of his people. Pope Francis said, “He is always attached to his people. Moses never forgets his people. And this is a great characteristic of pastors: not forgetting the people, not forgetting one’s roots ... Moses does not reject God, but nor does he reject his people. He is faithful to his flesh and blood; he is faithful to God’s voice ... His faith in God is completely at one with the sense of fatherhood he feels toward his people.”
Moses remained close both to God and to the people; he is an intercessor and bridge between God and the people. Moses is a type of Christ, who is one with God the Father because of his divinity and one with us because of his humanity. Christ Crucified is our only bridge to heaven.
Moses is an example for us. Pope Francis said, “Let us think of Moses, the intercessor. And when we want to condemn someone and we become angry inside — getting angry can do good, but condemning does no good – let us intercede for him or her; this will help us a lot.”
David is a prayerful king. The Catechism states: “David is par excellence the king ‘after God’s own heart,’ the shepherd who prays for his people and prays in their name. His submission to the will of God, his praise, and his repentance, will be a model for the prayer of the people.” (CCC 2579)
Pope Francis said, “There is a single golden thread running through David’s life, that gives unity to everything that happens: his prayer. That is the voice that is never extinguished. David the saint prays; David the sinner prays; David the persecuted prays; David the persecutor prays. Even David the manslayer prays. This is the golden thread that runs through his life. A man of prayer ... David teaches us to let everything enter into dialogue with God: joy as well as guilt, love as well as suffering, friendship as much as sickness ... Prayer gives you nobility, and David is noble because he prays. But he is a manslayer who prays; he repents and his nobility returns thanks to prayer. Prayer gives us nobility.”
St. James refers to Elijah in order to encourage us to pray: “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.” (Jas 5:16b-18)
Regarding Elijah, Pope Francis said, “Prayer is the lifeblood that constantly nourishes his existence ... Elijah is the man of contemplative life and, at the same time, of active life ... The touchstone of prayer is concrete love towards our neighbour. And vice versa: believers act in the world after having first kept silent and prayed; otherwise, their action is impulsive, it is devoid of discernment, it is rushing without a destination. Believers behave this way, they do many injustices because they did not go to pray to the Lord first, to discern what they must do.”
The prayer of the prophets “is not flight from this unfaithful world, but rather attentiveness to The Word of God. At times their prayer is an argument or a complaint, but it is always an intercession that awaits and prepares for the intervention of the Saviour God, the Lord of history.” (CCC 2584)
先知為人代禱
舊約中的梅瑟、達味和厄里亞，他們的祈禱是優秀禱文的模範。天主教教理指出「當天主的恩許開始實現時（逾越，出谷，法律的頒賜以及盟約的締結），梅瑟的祈禱就成為代禱顯著預象。此預象在『天人之間唯一中保 ─ 基督耶穌』身上圓滿地實現。」（天主教教理#2574）「在與這位緩於發怒、富於慈愛和信實的天主親密的交往中，梅瑟汲取了力量和堅韌不拔的毅力，來為子民代禱。他不為自己祈禱，而為天主所掙得的子民祈禱。」（天主教教理#2577）
梅瑟全是為了他的族人。教宗方濟各說：「他常心繫他的族人，梅瑟永不忘記他們。那是牧者的特性：不會忘記他牧養的，不會忘記他的根 …。梅瑟沒有拒絕天主，也不拒絕他的族人；他忠於他的血脈，亦忠信於天主的話語 …。他對天主的信德，儼如對父親的信賴，他同時也以父親的心去對待族人。」
梅瑟常保持接近天主與族人，他是一位代禱者，是天主與人之間的橋樑 ─ 猶如基督 ─ 基督因祂的天主性與聖父同性同體，基督亦因祂的人性與人共處。苦架上的基督，是我們唯一到達天鄉的橋樑。
梅瑟是我們的表表者。教宗說：「讓我們想想那代禱者梅瑟。當我們被激怒、要判處時 ─ 忿怒可能會帶來好事，但判處必定不會 ─ 設法為激怒我們的人祈禱，這會大大幫助我們。」
達味是常常祈禱的君王。天主教教理寫道：「達味是『合乎天主心意』的傑出君王，是為人民並以人民之名作祈禱的牧者。他服從天主的旨意，歌頌上主並懺悔認罪，都是人民祈禱的典範。」（天主教教理#2579）
教宗方濟各說：「達味的祈禱，好像生命裡的一條金線，把一切事情都連縫起來，從不間斷。達味聖者祈禱，達味罪人祈禱；達味被迫害時祈禱，達味在迫害他人時也祈禱，甚至達味殺人者也祈禱。這些都在他生命的金線串連起來。達味是祈禱的人，他教我們把所有事情都跟天主談論：無論是喜樂或負義、愛慕或受苦、結誼或生病等等 …。祈禱讓我們變得高貴 ─ 達味因祈禱而顯得高貴 ─ 達味是殺人者，但他悔改並因祈禱而回復高貴。因此，祈禱讓我們變得高貴。」
聖雅各伯引用厄里亞鼓勵我們祈禱：「義人懇切的祈禱，大有功效。厄里亞與我們是有同樣性情的人，他懇切祈求不要下雨，雨就三年零六個月沒有下在地上；他又祈求，天便降下雨來，地上也生出了果實。」（雅各伯書5:16b-18）
對於厄里亞，教宗方濟各說：「祈禱是他生命賴以活存的血泉，厄里亞一方面渡默觀的生活，同時又過著積極活躍的生活 … 祈禱的試金石是我們對近人切實的愛，我們先保持靜默和祈禱，始作出行動；反之，我們只是沒有深度的衝動行事，漫無目的地莽撞。只因我們沒有向天主祈禱，深刻探察，卻製做出更多謬誤。」
先知們的祈禱「並不是逃避無信仰的世界，而是聆聽天主的聖言，有時是同天主的爭執，或對天主的抱怨，但始終是一種代禱，此代禱是為等待和準備天主、救世主、歷史的主宰的干預。」（天主教教理#2584）