Don't pray your will

I've learned a lot this past year when it comes to prayer, and not the easy way. For some reason my prayers always go like this..." God, forgive me my sins, thank you for all you have done, now can you just....?" I don't want to let on that my prayers are always selfish, because at times they really are! But when i go through really hard times, i always pray for God to take me away from my troubles and to save me, so on, so on. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing horrible about asking God for some help...but is it God's will?    or yours?
In Haggai, the Israelites are attempting to rebuild the temple, God promises them that he will shake the heavens and the earth, and to the Israelites, the promise of glory into the new house (vs.7) seems like the glory of the temple they are rebuilding will be greater than before. But this prophecy was never fulfilled in their time. Haggai promised the people that that there would be a time when nations would bring their treasures to Israel, the new temple would be more glorious and peace would reign. But this was never fulfilled in their lives. I'm very sure that the Israelites were angry that after all they had been through, and after all the time they had spent waiting and praying for God to bring peace and glory, it never came.
...hundreds of years later...Jesus told his disciples, while looking down at that rebuilt temple, that he was and is the glory of God, he is the new temple and all of the nations bring their treasures to him, and in him, we receive peace.
when I pray, I ask God to provide, or to bless, to take care of the situation I am in. I know the greatness of my God and that he is capable of these things, and I pray these for strength and relief, but now I'm asking why my prayers and most likely yours, never end with "My father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as i will, but as you will."(Matthew 26:39) Why do we constantly pray our will and not God's? Did we ever stop to think that God is trying to teach us something, make us stronger by pushing us. After all, it is when we face struggle and pain that we are closest to God, because we are solely dependent on him.
How frustrated those Israelites must have been! Don't think that rebuilding a flipping massive temple was easy work, along with attacks from other people, fear and a serious lack of motivation. But who were they building for? Who did they put their trust in? Did they ever stop to think that maybe, just maybe God was putting them through all of this to bring them back together as his nation? To get their priorities straight? To bring them back to him? And he is the same God that we are praying to.
The only real promise of answer to prayer in the New Testament is found in Philippians 4:7. It is not an answer of blessing or prosperity, not even really any promise of a request granted at all. "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
God doesn't promise to give us an easy, blissful life once we submit to his will, and he's not a pot of gold we can tip over to have a prosperous, happy life. He does, however, promise peace, not the kind of peace that comes from the lack of sorrow or hurt or trial, but the peace that we have in a future with him, and knowing his will is far more superior then ours, whatever his will may be, and he is in control and has a plan.
God promised the Israelites peace, and they got it when Jesus took the cup God had given him, because ultimately, he wanted God's will to be done, and not his own. All the glory to God.
God promises peace, his peace, his son.
"Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for i am with you, declares the Lord of hosts, according to the covenant i made with you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit remains in your midst. Fear not. For thus says the Lord of Hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, i will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. And i will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and i will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of Hosts...and i will give peace, declares the Lord of Hosts."
Haggai 2:4-9