What's Wrong With Prayer ?

Many people said that ask pray to your parent, your family, your friends etc before you go to work interview, involved in some competition etc
. Because, the more you ask a prayer, the more you will close to the destination what do you want. 

I do believe that God hears our prayer, and I always prayer if I want to achieve something. But it was a strange for me, because the more I ask prayer to the people especially my family, the least my opportunity to pursue my dream. 

I've joined more than 10 (ten) competitions and selection process since july 2011 until now, and I always ask my family, relatives, and friends to pray for me to succeed . But, neither I am a winner nor selected. Even my mother always tahajud pray just for me when I joined some competition and selection, she also do fasting during I struggled to pursue my dream. But, I always failed in the final step. Including in the selection process whom I accomplished this day, once more I just a participant.

I'm not blame because I always failed in the last step. But I wonder, why then when I joined some competition and selection process tacitly (without ask a pray either from my mother or other people) then I could be a winner, at least the 3rd winner?

Should I stop asking for prayer when I join some competitions and selection process? Really, it will be hurt if I conveys the news to my family, relatives, and friend whom pray for me that I failed. 

May be, it better in the next activities I do it tacitly.

Really, I dont mean that I dont believe pray, I conduct pray every sholat. But, I think if I joined some competition and selection I think it is enough if just my pray who accompany me without involving people around me to ask prayer. Especially my mother, I dont want make her worry about me.

****Today for the the more than 10 event whom I joined since july 2011, I always failed.

But I believe God just postponed my prayer or will change my prayer. ****