[Avodah] efficacy of prayer

[Eli Turkel]

Two questions

1. My wife spoke this morning with a former terrorist victim (lost
husband and 2 sons).
She asked my wife that thursday morning there was a public prayer at the kotel
with important rabbis. That night was the tragedy at yeshivat hakotel.
What good is all these prayers?
What do you answer this woman?

2. People I know had an argument whether it is better to pray for oneself or
rather it is preferable to ask a tzaddik to pray.
I am convinced that praying oneself is better but I need sources not logic

-- 
Eli Turkel