✅Answer: Refer to the following narration:

1 عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْوَشَّاءِ عَنْ أَبَانٍ عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: إِذَا كَانَتْ لَكَ حَاجَةٌ فَتَوَضَّأْ وَ صَلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ احْمَدِ اللَّهَ وَ أَثْنِ عَلَيْهِ وَ اذْكُرْ مِنْ آلَائِهِ ثُمَّ ادْعُ (بِمَا تُحِبُّ)

📚 Al-Kafi, vol.3, p.479

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'When you have a need, perform ablution and pray two rak‘ahs, then praise Allah, thank Him, mention some of His blessings, and then pray for whatever you desire.'

✅Yes, if our need is the health and reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi (peace be upon him), according to this narration, we perform a two-rak‘ah prayer of need, praise and glorify Allah, mention some of His blessings, and then pray for the health, well-being, and hastening of the reappearance of our master, Imam al-Mahdi (peace be upon him). This is a highly virtuous act.

✅Other prayers of need can also be performed for the hastening of the reappearance and health of our master.

✅Since the narration instructs praising and glorifying Allah before supplication, a few recommended praises and glorifications of Allah, as indicated by the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), are as follows:

2 Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'Any supplication that does not begin with praise and glorification of Allah is incomplete. First comes the praise of Allah, then glorification.' The narrator said: 'I do not know how much praise suffices!' Imam replied: 'Before supplication, say:'

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ الْأَوَّلُ فَلَيْسَ قَبْلَكَ شَيْ ءٌ وَ أَنْتَ الْآخِرُ فَلَيْسَ بَعْدَكَ شَيْ ءٌ وَ أَنْتَ الظَّاهِرُ فَلَيْسَ فَوْقَكَ شَيْ ءٌ وَ أَنْتَ الْبَاطِنُ فَلَيْسَ دُونَكَ شَيْ ءٌ وَ أَنْتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

📚 Al-Kafi, vol.2, p.503

3 Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'In the book of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) it is stated that praising and glorifying Allah comes before making a request. So when you intend to supplicate, first glorify Him.' I asked: 'How should I glorify Allah?' He replied: 'Say:'

يَا مَنْ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيَّ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ يَا فَعَّالًا لِمَا يُرِيدُ يَا مَنْ يَحُولُ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَ قَلْبِهِ يَا مَنْ هُوَ بِالْمَنْظَرِ الْأَعْلَى يَا مَنْ هُوَ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ ءٌ

📚 Al-Kafi, vol.2, p.484

4 In another narration from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), this prayer is recommended for glorifying and praising Allah before supplication:

يَا أَجْوَدَ مَنْ أَعْطَى وَ يَا خَيْرَ مَنْ سُئِلَ يَا أَرْحَمَ مَنِ اسْتُرْحِمَ يَا أَحَدُ يَا صَمَدُ يَا مَنْ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَ لَمْ يُولَدْ وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُواً أَحَدٌ يَا مَنْ لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ صَاحِبَةً وَ لَا وَلَداً يَا مَنْ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَ يَحْكُمُ مَا يُرِيدُ وَ يَقْضِي مَا أَحَبَّ يَا مَنْ يَحُولُ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَ قَلْبِهِ يَا مَنْ هُوَ بِالْمَنْظَرِ الْأَعْلَى يَا مَنْ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ ءٌ يَا سَمِيعُ يَا بَصِيرُ

📚 Al-Kafi, vol.2, p.485

5 عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ قَالَ: قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فِي حَدِيثٍ إِذَا أَرَدْتَ أَنْ تَدْعُوَ اللَّهَ فَمَجِّدْهُ وَ احْمَدْهُ وَ سَبِّحْهُ وَ هَلِّلْهُ وَ أَثْنِ عَلَيْهِ وَ صَلِّ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ثُمَّ سَلْ تُعْطَ.

Translation: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'When you wish to supplicate, first glorify Allah, praise Him, recite His Tasbih and Tahleel, send blessings upon the Prophet, and then make your request; it will be granted.'

✅This practice is known as the Prayer of Need (Salat al-Hajat).