Gospel centred prayers.

When you read Paul's prayer for the Philippians you see that it is a Gospel centred prayer. Here is the prayer:
"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God." Philippians 1:9 - 11
Notice that he prays that they will abound more and more in knowledge. Now this is not general knowledge like knowing more mathematics (I am a mathematician by training and I do like to continue to grow in my knowledge of mathematics) but a particular knowledge about God Himself. He also prays that they won't be satisfied with mediocrity but rather that they will be able to discern what is best and strive for that. All of this should be prayed for the glory of God.
So how do we pray for those suffering and dieing of cancer, or the one who is having marital problem or for our children? Is there room for that type of prayer? Most certainly there is but too often it becomes our primary prayer focus and we add "to the glory of God" as a postscript. Lord teach us to pray.