Quid pro quo prayer and more

I recently saw the following email:

Hi all!

looking to start a tefillah/tehilim forum focused on those seeking new employment. we know that often there is very little we can do for those who are out of a job other than to be good friends, neighbors, spouses, etc. we can sympathize, empathize, etc but unless we 'know someone' we can't really help. however, there is one thing we can do which is to pray for each other and direct our tefilos toward each other's financial success and well being. to add my 'two cents' to this i want to get names (hebrew with mother's name, similar to praying for a sick person) and give them out via email to others to pray for them. no last names required, and identities will be safe. all you need to do is reply to this email with your name and need and i will reply, within 24 hours, with another person's name to pray for.

we know that if a person prays for a another person and they are in need of the same then God answers you first. sounds good to me!

let us hope that we can be successful in our endeavors and let us work/pray for our chaverim in this very serious time of need.

See parshablog: Segulah-izing prayer for others
As Josh observes about the promotion of the I pray for you, you pray for me idea:

The thing is, in neither of these two examples was the Biblical character doing this as a trick, to force Hashem to fulfill one's will. Rather, they were able to put aside their own "selfish" concerns and focus on other people's needs, even where the other person had the same need as himself. . . .

But if someone would not be davening for other people having the same condition, except that he or she heard of this gemara and of this segulah trick, then are they really davening for the other person? Or are they really davening for themselves, in a clever roundabout fashion? Are you developing within yourself, or manifesting, this trait of caring for others and not just your own narrow concerns?