When God doesn't answer

I have been thinking a lot lately about a few situations where I or others have been praying, and the answer is not coming the way that I would want or expect. Clearly, I know that God has a plan that is far greater than what I could ever imagine, but I feel confused. Why do we feel compelled to pray for something when the outcome doesn't happen? Are we praying the wrong things or with the wrong motives? Maybe.

But I think about the Scripture that tells us to "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem." People have been praying that for millennia, but it has not been fully answered yet. Still, the Scriptures instruct us to pray for it. If we don't see the answer we are expecting, does that mean we shouldn't pray for it? From this example, I believe it is clear that we should pray for it regardless of what we see.

We are to pray God's will. The difficult thing for me is knowing God's will in a situation. Is it God's will that we should never experience pain or suffering? I know that He is a good God and does not cause harm for His children, but He allows us to be tried and tested, which we see in the book of Job. God did not forget His servant Job, but He allowed him to endure much sorrow and pain. So, how do we pray? We cannot pray according to what we see, but according to the Spirit of God. Sometimes I wonder why we even pray if God is going to do what is best anyway. But then I think of how much I have grown through those moments of deep intercession even if what I was praying was not granted.