The first is a preemptive prayer. These are prayers offered before anything happens. For example, one might preemptively pray for the day ahead in the morning.

The other is reactive prayer. These are prayers offered when we hear of a situation beyond our control. For example, one might say a prayer for a family that suffered a tragedy. 

I am learning on my spiritual journey that the more I pray preemptively, the less I am required to pray reactively for the events in my life.