Chapter 1: The Prayer of a Baking Worm

...But the biblical obligation [of Prayer] is that... through this one will know and comprehend that the Holy One Blessed Be He alone directs His world and supervises all the minute details of his creations and he alone has the power to extract us from or nullify our troubles.

Turning to G-d in prayer for relief from our acute or chronic suffering is an expression of faith. But it is not a general faith. It is rooted in the belief that G-d truly cares for and oversees every minute detail of the creation.

The following story of the Ba'al Shem Tov illustrates this point:

The story goes that the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of the Chassidic movement, was once walking with a disciple who had a difficult time understanding how every tiny event in this world has a purpose. Just then a gust of wind blew a leaf to the ground. “And that, too?” the chassid asked. The Baal Shem Tov nodded wisely and motioned to him to pick up the leaf. Underneath lay a worm which had been in the blazing sunshine a moment before. Hashem had sent the wind to dislodge the leaf in order to protect the helpless worm…

Therefore, prayer is purely an expression of my faith that G-d is not only capable of changing my reality but he cares about and is Himself personally involved in every minute detail of my life.

From the Path of Your Commandments by the Tzemach Tzedek, Root of the Commandment of Prayer: