Same religion, very different views..

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I firmly believe in prayer and have seen its effects. But I don't pray for small stuff, I think God is kinda busy with really important stuff like wars, poverty, crazy jihads and the like. I say a lot of prayers of thanks because I don't think he gets much of that and it also reinforces a feeling well being and gratitude. My ex's wife argues that it says in the Bible to pray about everything so she does. She's a dear person but really strange sometimes. She recently had just a few dollars in her checking account and the house payment was due. I offered to lend them the money but she said she would ask the Lord to help her and see what he would do with those few dollars. I told her God gave her a brain and she should solve her own problems as best she can. Well, sure enough they got the house payment without my help and she credit her faith with it. There are other times when she prays about things that I don't understand. If there is something wrong with the car, she'll pray about it. I'll lift the hood and see if it's something I can fix. I tell her that God gave her a brain for a reason and she should use it for small things like that but she thinks prayers are gifts to God because he loves to take care of us. Another area where she and many other don't agree with me is the matter of hell. God is our father. What father do you know that would condemn his child to an eternity of torment? I believe that if there is a hell it is merely a dimension with no love or goodness and a soul chooses to go there. So many people live in fear of hell that they scare little children and live their lives in guilt and terror. We will probably never agree on such things. Like I said, she is a sweet person but I find her religious views very backward. Do you know someone whose religion is the same as yours (Protestant, Jewish, Hindu, etc) but whose views and practices are very different?