Welcome to Daily Chizuk. There's a question often asked. We know Hashem is the Mekor HaChesed (Source of kindness). He takes care of all our needs, and He always does the best possible thing for us. If this is so, how does the concept of prayer fit in? If it's best for me to have something, Hashem will give it to me out of His unconditional love. So why should I have to ask for it? And if it's not good for me to have something, why would Hashem give it to me just because I asked?
One answer to this question is that the greatest kindness Hashem could do for us is make us close to Him. When we ask and talk to Hashem, we establish that close relationship. So Hashem, in His kindness, waits to give to us until we ask Him. This answer, however, assumes that it could be beneficial for us to have something even without prayer, but that it's more beneficial to get it through tefillah (prayer). I would like to give a scenario that shows us that it could actually be bad for someone to have something, but more beneficial to get it through tefillah. Through tefillah, it becomes good.
The Chafetz Chaim once gave a mashal (parable) in a different context about a man who went up to Shamayim (heaven) after 120 and was facing the heavenly court. He was told, “For all of your averot (sins), you're going to have to have some affliction, and then you'll be allowed into Gan Eden.” But then they found one sin. They said, “Oh, we can't help you with this one.” “What? What is it?” he asked. They said, “You once insulted your friend, and you never asked him for forgiveness. For that, we can't forgive you. You had to ask him for forgiveness. It's out of our hands.”
“There's only one thing we could do to help you.” He said, “What? Anything.” “You have to go back down to the world and fix that sin. You have to be able to go back down and live with people and treat them the right way.” Now, that's the last thing the Neshama (soul) wants to do, but it's his only choice. So he says, “Okay, whatever it takes to get into Gan Eden.” The Bet Din (heavenly court) said, “Okay, your decree is to go back down to the world as a brilliant, wealthy, good-looking man.” The man said, “What? That's not fair. If I'm wealthy and good-looking, I might become arrogant and might come to look down at people. How could I fix the sin with that type of life? I can't do it. It's too hard.” They said, “No, sorry. You have to pass the test under these conditions.”
He started begging them: “Please, I'm going to do worse. I'm going to make even more sins.” After pleading and pleading, they finally agreed to let him go down as a poor beggar. He said, “Thank you. Thank you so much. I'm going to be humble, and I'm going to fulfill my mission.” He goes down to the world, poverty-stricken. All day long, he's thinking, “It's not fair. Why did Hashem do this to me?” But in reality, this is Hashem's greatest kindness for him. It's best for him not to have now.
If you were to ask the rabbi, “What should I do, Rabbi? I'm so poor. Everything I try to do is unsuccessful. I just can't make money,” the rabbi will tell him, “You have to pray harder. Beg Hashem. Ask Him to bless you with money. You could become wealthy.” The Mabit says the whole purpose of tefillah is for us to recognize how needy and deficient we are, how much we need Hashem, and that it's only Hashem who gives us everything. If this man will be sincere and, through tefillah, come to the realization that anything he gets is only because of Hashem's kindness, then having money will not make him arrogant. He'll realize it's all a gift from Hashem, and now it could actually be good for him to have that money. Getting money without tefillah could be horrible. It might make him arrogant, but getting money through tefillah will be beneficial.
We have to always trust that Hashem knows what He's doing. He's full of love. He's full of mercy. He always does the best for us, but at the same time, He commanded us to ask Him for all of our needs, and it's not a contradiction. Have a great day. God bless you.