Contrasting Approaches to Prayer and Humility in Biblical Context

In Mark chapter ten we find two stories back to back that exemplify how we should and should not pray. In the first story James and John approach Jesus saying, "We want you to do for us whatever we ask." This self-agenda based prayer is met with rebuff from Jesus. In the second story the blind beggar Bartimaues simply prayers, "Lord, have mercy on me." Jesus responds to this humble, open-ended plea for mercy with, "What do you want me to do for you?" It wasn't the two disciples who knew how to pray, but the blind beggar.