How do you relate answered and unanswered prayers to God's will?

When I pray for others and for myself, I ask for God's will to be done. God loves us and He wants to the best for us. Jeremiah 29:11-13 says it all: For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all of your heart.

I think we pray for things, people, situations etc, and He gives us one of three answers: yes, no, or wait. If the answer is yes, that means whatever we have asked was within the will of God, and so he has acted accordingly. If the answer is no, that means that whatever it was wasn't within His will. If He says wait (which we often mistake for no) that just means that this isn't the right time yet, and He will accomplish it in His perfect timing.