About asking G-d to help us get through, at the same time we know that everything comes from Him

Question:
Why is it that we believe that G-d has the ability to cure our problems but we seem to ignore the fact that He did not prevent those problems initially? (For example, we ask Hashem to heal the cholim, but wasn't He the One Who allowed them to get sick?) If the answer to that question is that G-d allows things to happen in this world without controlling everything (b/c people have free choice, etc.), then why do we believe that He has the ability to control other things, and help solve our issues? I know that the holocaust is a specific event that tortures us about why G-d does things the way that He does. But how can it be that we credit Him with our salvation when He allowed it to happen? This question applies to even the most simplest of things, be it getting more money after a business loss, or healing after a cold. I know it's a difficult question to answer, but I would appreciate if you could address this issue and maybe help me (and others) understand a little bit more, if any way possible.
Thank you,
Talia Stern

Mrs. Billet writes: You are right that the question how do bad things happen in a world run by a just God is a question that has been and will probably always be there. I like to think that one of the ways of approaching this question is to see our illnesses, or our unemployment, etc, as a nisayon, a test or a challenge of sorts. God tests us, and the medrash actually says that that can be compared to a potter who sometimes strikes his clay pots to see if they are strong enough to withstand the stress of the blows. Usually, the potter is wise enough and careful enough to test the strength of the pot without breaking it. Then he is confident that the clay pots he created can withstand the stresses of heavy use. Sometimes when you know someone who has undergone a terrible challenge like a life-threatening illness or a loss in the family, that person might say: If you had told me before this happened that it would happen to me, I would have told you that I would have been crushed by those terrible events; I would have gone insane, or gotten totally depressed, or any other type of inability to cope. But then the person goes on to say: I cannot believe that I actually reached into my soul and found the inner resources to cope with this devastation. In fact, I am stronger and more capable than I ever would have thought I could be. So yes, it is true that God allows life to run its course and sometimes that means that we will be sick, or lose our investment, or be hurt in an accident, see a loved one die, and more. But we can still be confident that we can pray to God to help us find the inner resources deep inside our souls that help us grow into stronger, wiser, more capable and more experienced people. We can emerge from the depths of our pain and resolve to do something good in memory of the loved one. We can give back to the community or help others who are experiencing the same tzara that we underwent and then overcame. We can pray to God to help us feel that we are not alone, that we have friends and family who will support us and love us, even as we cope with the terrible challenges life sometimes brings our way. Judaism will have us believe that we do have the choice to either be crushed by the things that overwhelm us, or to find a way to steer ourselves out of the storm. So God is able to both allow life to run its course which includes difficult, painful moments, as well as help us find the inner strength and ability to cope. He is the source of life that brings its ups and its downs, but He is also the source of the wisdom of our minds, the strength of our character and the love and support of our friends and family.