We might have friends, but our friends are not justified by the situation we find ourselves in. The truth is that we cannot pray against all kinds of tribulations in life because Jesus left the earth. He made us to know that there will be a time when there are so many tribulations on earth.
Some people might say this might be a bad plan by God, but it is a chance to remind us that God is also ready to allow that we must acknowledge Him even when we face challenges. And even though we pray that challenges will never come our way, we cannot still avoid it completely because it's part of our life.
Problems are always bound to come, but it is how we respond to it through prayers, faiths, believing in God that change the whole narrative. What differentiates the children of God from others is how we handle tribulation which we are not staying alone but by going to God and bringing all our problems to Him to see us through.