What takes priority when davening?

The Dubno Magid zt'l told the following mashal:

A wealthy person sent his five sons overseas to study Torah. Oneof them, Reuven, became deathly ill.

The doctors said that the only cure available is extremely expensive. The brothers replied, "Money isn't

a problem. We will write a letter to our wealthy father and he will send us money."

This is the letter the oldest brother wrote:

"Dear father, kindly send us a large sum of money because Shimon's eyeglasses broke, and he needs

new ones. Also, Levi's clothes are old and torn. That is another expense. Yehudah owes 450 dinar and

has to pay up the debt. Also send money for Reuven because he is dangerously ill, and the medicine

costs a fortune."

When the father received the letter he was angry at his eldest son. He said, "How did my foolish son

turn around the order of this letter? He should have written about Reuven first because that is

the biggest problem."

The Dubno Magid said that this is how it appears when people daven for many things, and then, like an

afterthought, they daven for Moshiach, too. Davening for Moshiach should be our first and

primary tefillah. The desire for Moshiach should be foremost in our minds, and all other needs should 

be secondary.

(Torah Wellsprings, 5782)

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