R' Fuerst used to give a shiur in Mishna Brura on Monday nights for ba'al habatim. (The dayan now gives a shiur on Sunday mornings. I still miss that Monday night shiur.) Once, when we were discussing tzitzis, the dayan said he always ties his own tzitzis, because he wants to be sure they are tied correctly. One of the ba'al habatim said that he only buys pre-tied tzitzis, also because he wants to be sure they are tied correctly. Sometimes it is just better to leave things to the experts.
As the angels are traveling to S'dom to destroy the greater S'dom metropolitan area, which encompasses five cities, Avraham Avinu is desperately working to find any merit to save the cities. Avraham davens all day, but in the end is unsuccessful. The angels -- who have been waiting with hope that Avraham could find some way to save the cities -- must not enter to carry out HaShem's decree. They first need to save Lot and his immediate family. Lot -- worried about his stuff -- delays, so the angels grab him and his wife and bum-rush them out of town.
Lot, full of anguish, begs in the face of the angels, "Oh Lord! Your servant has found grace in Your eyes and You have shown me such kindness to save my life. But I can't make it to the mountains where my uncle Avraham lives. He is such a צדיק and I am completely unworthy in comparison. I fear the evil of this place has attached itself to me and I will not survive. Please let me flee to the small/new city of צוער!" This, too, is granted to Lot, his wife, and two unmarried daughters. For their sake, the city of צוער is spared.
Wait! Avraham Avinu davened all day for the greater S'dom metropolitan area, which included צוער (as well as three other cities). Avraham Avinu learned and taught us that the presence of just nine just people can redeem an entire city. Neither S'dom nor any of the other four cities -- including צוער -- had that. Avraham Avinu then got up to daven vasikin -- the most propitious time to daven -- to now beg for mercy for the greater S'dom metropolitan area; but he was too late. The cities were already destroyed.
Except צוער. Lot is in the chumash, but he is no Avraham. Lot, in fact, was only being saved because he had learned about hospitality during his time with his exalted uncle and still retained a vestige of that good character trait. Lot's argument for saving the city was anything but selfless. Lot knew that he could not survive a comparison with Avraham. Lot asked that צוער be spared so he could continue to be surrounded by evil people, look good by comparison, and thereby merit being saved. That's the t'fila that saved Lot, his wife, his two daughters, and an entire city.
You have no idea what you can accomplish when you daven for yourself and turn to HaShem as your only hope.
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