They steal my shiny things...

I used to be a big believer in prayer.  Anytime someone else had a need I would ask God to meet that need.  On many occasions I have done what I can to help them meet that need.  After a lot of years I asked a friend why with my being such a big believer in prayer, why was my own life such a fucking waste.  He suggested maybe it because I always pray for everyone else's needs and not my own.  I just assumed that other people would be praying for me.  Quid pro quo.  Now I simply choose to not believe in prayer because the only other alternatives are that nobody considers me worth praying for -or- that God isn't listening to them.  Why?  Can someone tell me why?