Ah, the general Buddhist perspective is that self does not, in fact, exist.To ask God for stuff you have to peer inwards and figure out what is important to you. That's the important bit. Asking God for it isn't the secret sauce. So I think that qualifies as a spiritual practice. While other forms might be better. This isn't worthless IMHO.
He does have a point, though.
In Abrahamic religions there is a tendency to push responsibility away from ones self, 'no matter what happens this is a part of God's plan'. So looking inward but then asking God for help implies a kind of delusion. Where, conversely, in something like Buddhism the person meditating is only looking to themselves for guidance.
I think there is a subtle distinction there. There is no self, as in no soul, but there is still a living entity who is personally responsible, just a transient and impermanent one.