Interesting mashal, 5ish.
So if you ask Hashem for rain, or a shidduch, or parnassa or a refua shleima, since you are asking Him to do things for you, it is not davening? What then is davening? Only the shevach part, not the bakasha? Or are you trying to say that it is who you are turning to that defines it as davening- if I ask Hashem to give me $2000 to pay my rent it is davening, but if I ask a person, it is not.
If you asked someone to pass the ketchup and there is no ketchup in the house, or the person is miles away- meaning it is beyond the ability of that person to do what you asked, but you turn to him anyway assuming he has some super-natural ability to help you, is that ok?
I’d like to remind everyone of an exchange between Rochel and Yaakov- Rochel demands of Yaakov: Hava li bonim- give me kids, or it’s if I am dead. Yaakov got angry at her and answers, Hatachas Elokim anochi- am I instead of G-d who has withheld kids from you? Yaakov felt it was inappropriate of Rochel to ask him to do something that only Hashem can do. Rochel’s answer was (see Rashi), your father davened for your mother…meaning, her intent was not that Yaakov should be the one bringing her kids, but he should daven to Hashem for her so that Hashem would give her kids, just like Yitzchak did for Rivka. He answers- but unlike Yitzchak, I have kids, it is you who needs to daven. Rochel answers- then daven like Avraham who did not have kids. Yaakov- but Sora gave Avraham her shifcha. So Rochel gives Yaakov her shifcha, and has surrogate kids through her, and eventually, her own children.
A lot of important hashkafa here- the power of a tzaddik’s tefiilla vs the power of the tefilla of an individual with a need. The importance of hishtadlus- or some would call it a segula- to actualize a tefilla. And the fine line between believing that the tzaddik has G-d-like ability (which is what Yaakov was afraid Rochel was saying) vs the Tzaddik is intervening with Hashem (which is what Rochel meant).