Prayer at the center of pain

I feel exactly the same way mariposa. I really believe God does give us hope, and prayers definitely help on an emotional and spiritual level. However we are also given minds to use to find help and people, information, and the means to find physical relief. So if we rely solely on prayer without acknowledging that the problems are still there (be it pain or whatever), we are selling ourselves short, and not using our faith as God intended; followed action on our part.