I never understood why JWs were told to pray to Jehovah in order to have someone change their course, open their heart, make the way---when in reality it is like asking for a miracle to happen. Witnesses say miracles have been done away with and God doesn't work this way any longer.
If you're going through a bad time, pray to God and he will help you if you have faith. He'll "bless" you! But if we were to pray to end all the misery, suffering and needless pain in the world, that would be inappropriate. If we were to ask that all the monsoons and devastation and earthquakes please end, no can do. But we should pray to be allowed to preach in a Communistic land. God might make the way!...... It seems that prayer's effects depend upon how you want to look at it. If you pray without enough faith, you will not be answered by God in the way you desire. If you DO have proper faith and do not get the results you've wanted, God could be allowing a test, or just might not want to grant your wish. It's a crap shoot.