Just a Question About Prayer

So I'm not asking about the rightness or wrongness.  Not asking for a theological debate.  Just use your imagination for a moment: How would it effect your prayer life if you believed that by praying you could change God's mind? I listened to some sermons recently by Jack Deere and Michael Rowntree at Wellspring Church that talked about that very thing. There is plenty of Scripture that points in that direction. My worry in prayer is always more that God would give me what I asked for instead of what's best, good, right, healthy or more fun for me. My prayers too often focus on pain reduction and comfort enhancement, and in truth, it's that pain and discomfort that might make me be the best me.