It seems that what we have to say is, is that Avraham Avinu davened on Har Hamoria that he wouldn’t have to continue with the akeidah, and in fact he was answered and in the end he never needed to perform the akeidah. This is in fact how the Ran, and the Tosfos Yom Tov quoting the Yerushalmi understand the tefillah.
The Maharsha argues and maintains the tefillah wasn’t that he shouldn’t need to carry on with the akeidah, rather he davened that Hashem should make a ram appear to be offered up as a korban olah, and that is in fact what happened. He suggests, that perhaps Avraham sinned in his mind, and he wanted to bring an olah to atone for the sin.
In Parshas Vayetsei the Torah writes: “And Hashem heard Leah and she became pregnant and bore a fifth son to Yaakov”. The meforshim note that there is no mention of Leah davening, so why does the Torah say that Hashem heard Leah - she didn’t say anything?! Rashi explains that in this sense, the word ‘vayishma’ refers to ‘perceiving’ - “Hashem perceived that Leah desired and strived to create more shevotim and as a result of that desire He granted her another child.” We learn from here that Hashem responds to an intense desire for spiritual accomplishment which is accompanied by great effort, even when a person does not daven to Hashem. R’ Yehonsan Gefen suggests, that perhaps we can say the same thing by the akeidah, and perhaps Avraham’s ratzon to perfrom the akeidah is the tefillah we are referring to.
See also the Shlah who speaks at great length about the above.
