Prayer and His Will

Our view of God and the way we expect Him to answer prayer is so limited and narrow. I have been struggling with why God doesn't appear to be answering my prayers for healing, for the headaches to completely go away, and for other things. I've been struggling with the purpose of prayer when my prayers aren't always answered my way. 

I'm doing the bible study "What Love Is" by Kelly Minter, and today's lesson was titled "Asking According to His Will". Nothing revolutionary was said but The Holy Spirit was talking to me. 

The Bible says in 1 John 5:14 "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." And in John 15:7 "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." Note that it doesn't just say, "ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you", it says " If you remain in me and my words remain in you". If we are truly remaining (endure/stay/abide/dwell) then we will ask according to His will, without selfish motives. 

Our understanding of life is so finite. We expect that if we are remaining in Him our prayers should be answered now. But God isn't finite! He sees everything. Knows everything. He doesn't work on our timetable. Prayer requires patience for that reason. Sometimes when our prayers (say for headaches to go away, or you fill in the blank) seem unanswered, keep abiding. Keep asking. He promises to hear. He might just be answering in a different way or a different time than we expected. His plans are great, we just have to abide and trust that He's working.