Prayers and Miracles -- Just Wondering...

I believe in prayer. I believe that the Bible tells us to pray. I believe that God still performs miracles. I believe that when He performs miracles in our lives, it's not because we are more loved by Him than other people are, but it's only through His grace--the same grace by which He saves us through the atoning work of Jesus Christ.

But lately, I've been pondering a certain aspect of prayer as it pertains to miracles. Have you ever noticed how quite often, prayers are requested for people who are in some sort of need of physical healing?

I've noticed that many, many prayers are requested (and hopefully are actually prayed) for people, even when the people are critically ill. But then I've noticed something else--it seems as if the moment a person actually dies (I guess except for if someone is praying that life-saving procedures such as getting a heart re-started), the prayers seem to focus on comfort and peace for those who have survived the death of the person who'd been being prayed for.

In the book of 2 Samuel, chapter 12, David stops praying for his son's life once he learns that the son is dead. Maybe that's why we generally stop praying for a person once that person is dead.

But The New Testament gives several accounts of the dead being raised to life. Are we implying that once a person dies, all hope is gone? Is that Biblical?

Or are we simply acknowledging that if a person dies as a Christian, he or she is much better off being with Jesus than being here and subject to suffering and pain in this earthly existence?

Just wondering...