Fionn, I don't suppose any defense is needed- but I would like to say that my attitude used to be the same as yours. I always resented the notion that God had to be begged and nagged at before S/He deigned to notice a problem.

Then one day it occurred to me that prayer- concerted, whole-hearted, childlike prayer- was for our benefit, not God's. It's kind of like going into meditation for attitude adjustment; meditation doesn't work until and unless we somehow let go our own agendae.

Eb