1. "Do not imagine that you, of all the Jews, will escape with your life..." (Esther 4:13) These words sounds like an ugly accusation regarding Queen Esther. Such an accusation could not be possible. Rather, the issue can be explained as follows:
"Anyone who asks for compassion from Heaven on behalf of another, and he requires compassion from Heaven concerning that same matter, he is answered first?" (Bava Kamma 92a). This is because there is a seismic gap separating general prayer, and prayer emanating from a broken heart.
We know from the words of the sages how special the power is of that prayer which is rooted in and derives from the level of the broken heart.
A person who needs a particular thing, and their heart is broken within them from pleading and praying for salvation from that thing - they have acquired within themselves the power of the elevated prayer. And this same person, who prays with this power on behalf of another, they are leveraging this acquisition and altruistically offering it on behalf of their peer.
This is "one who requires compassion concerning the same matter."
That is, they offer their peer the power of elevated prayer stemming from their own deep struggles and challenges. Certainly, it is eminently reasonable that such a person should not lose the great merit of "one who has struggled", when they volunteer from their heart this very merit to their peer.
2. And this is the explanation of the instructive comment from Mordechai to Esther: "Do not imagine that you will escape with your life." That is to say: your prayer on behalf of the Jewish people shall come specifically from the recognition that you yourself require the same thing [ie salvation from Haman], but nevertheless the prayer shall be directed solely towards the good of the people Israel. God forbid that you would lose the elevated spiritual level you have achieved, that of "one who requires compassion concerning the same matter."
And it is only through the broken-heartedness of needing the same salvation, and bestowing to another this broken-hearted prayer-power - that your prayer for the people Israel shall be so elevated.
"Do not imagine that you will escape with your life" - do not imagine that your soul-power will be diminished.
§ The Gemara cites a series of questions that Rava asked Rabba bar Mari, the first one being related to the previous topic of discussion. Rava said to Rabba bar Mari: From where is this matter derived whereby the Sages stated: Anyone who asks for compassion from Heaven on behalf of another, and he requires compassion from Heaven concerning that same matter, he is answered first? Rabba bar Mari said to him that the source for this is as it is written: “And the Lord changed the fortune of Job, when he prayed for his friends” (Job 42:10).