Feelings and prayer

How we feel about things, usually has its place and that includes our prayer life.  But at the same time,  our feelings during prayer is really irrelevant.
If we feel that God is far away from us, we can typically account for this by our own lack of devotion.  But because we know God is a God of love, we know he is never far from us.  Even when it feels that way,  we should be that much more aggressive in our prayers, as our hearts need to change.
When we don't feel like praying for a particular person or situation, again that is the time when we should be praying most.
When we feel angry, jealous, depressed or otherwise, we as followers of Christ, should know that God is with us. Regardless of how we feel,  There is always the good, the right and the true. And those are the things that should direct our thoughts and actions,  not our feelings.
At the same time,  when we have feelings of love and devotion toward God and neighbor,  that is a good thing,  for this is what we are called to.
Fickleness should not be the driver in our life.

Do you relate?

What does it mean to relate?  We sometimes hear people say that they just cannot relate, usual in response to some generationally distinct action or frame of mind.  The older generation cannot relate to the younger generation. 
That is one discussion, that could bear some valuable fruit. But maybe another time.
What I have in mind is something different.  I am thinking on terms of the Christian in relation to the culture around him.  How do we relate to them or do we not relate at all?
Again, what does it mean to relate? If we consider the word etymologically, we can see it in terms of genetics.  We are genetically related to our progeny and our predecessors.  This means, in short,  that we have common DNA with them.
Or if we think of the word "relationship", we have a relationship with someone if we are involved in their life,  in any of a variety of ways.  Our doctor, our mailman,  our boss or co-workers,  our spouse or our children.  We have differing relationships with each of these, but they are all relationships.
So what then does it mean to relate or not with someone? We can tie all of these definitions together in order to draw a possible answer.  To relate then would be to have something in common with another which could lead to regular interaction, of some degree.
So what then does it mean to not relate? It would be the absence of these things.  The interesting thing, at least to me, is the lack of ethics in this regard.  There is nothing right or wrong about relating or not relating to someone.  The ethical aspect of this would come into consideration when the topic of what that relationship was built upon.
My conclusion then is that someone who is different than others around him simply because his interests or areas of knowledge are different than others is not in a place of fault or error. He simply doesn't relate.
This could be a point of sorrow for him or it could be irrelevant.  Either way,  he is different because of choices he has made in developing his world and because of who he is genetically,  formed by DNA and by upbringing.
The next interesting aspect of this is what happens when one's faith puts him at odds with his culture.  Question, should our faith make us radically different than the noon believers around us? Should not our faith control and direct every aspect of our lives? And as a culture moves further away from the Christian faith, should not the Christian relate less and less?