Euthymios,
The Orthodox psychology and spirituality are very deep. Many people get twisted ideas when reading the saints' explanations. And yes, it doesn't agree with this world. Since we live in the world and are tainted by the fabric of our society, we are drawn by this world.
I think it is most prominent in our times as it is mixed, even in our attempts to hold Orthodox practices like praying and fasting.
You say that you do so much praying and you are still in the same place of heart, as when you started. You feel no progress.
But, you measure progress by your standards...your expections. Perhaps you should consider that God is assessing your progress by His standards. And isn't God's measurement pure and true and just and above your views?
But, since we are not God, we can't understand how He is leading us. The main point is...we have to exercise our unconditional trust in God - this is called faith. This is what you can offer God as your sacrifice. This is called true worship.
To feel frustrated means to be spiritually blind and THIS is the deception that we all fall in.
The lives of saints are an example of true worship. Complete faith in God. They were calm and at peace.
When you come to accept God's will above yours then you will be calm.
The act of praying doesn't help our souls if we are praying with expectations. We should just simply pray.
And...nobody will "snap" if they have discernment in understanding how the holy fathers taught. They indicated the true path to God, because they were travelling it. And look at them now. They are saints or blessed ones or righteous ones or holy ones.
And you expect to get this, at your stage? There are no short cuts and no substitutions, like the papists, protestants and all the other religions that think they are doing God's will.
They are doing their own will and that's why mankind is in the spiritual state they are in now. That's why there was the Great Schism. God didn't want it...man did. You have to seperate the two. God gave us free will and we choose to use it badly.
And you exhaust your spiritual energy by rationalizing about the outcome of the souls of others.
Focus on what God teaches us to be and apply it in your heart and then your prayers will feel sweet.