Roughly ten years ago I fell in love with Jesus. As anyone who is married will tell you; when you fall in love with someone you also have to accept their family as your own. With Jesus, the family is the Church (not exclusively meaning those that attend a physical assembly, of course). The church I found myself in was Pentecostal, specifically Church of God. One of the things I heard the most often (and that pisses me off) is that we should praise God even when we don't feel it.
Here's the thing: I think God actually gives a damn about how we feel. I think our emotional health means something to our creator. Don't get me wrong, I do think we should worship God. The thing is when they say "praise God when you don't feel it" they mean do what we see as acceptable worship to God. So lift your hands when you feel as though your insides are dying. Sing loud, even though you throat hurts so badly from holding back tears that you can barely get the words out. The worst part it that by "feel it" they often mean emotional hype (aka glorified group think). Just do it so that we don't have to deal with you. Do it, because your problems are nothing in the big picture. (This is in direct contrast to another teaching which says God cares so deeply about us that He wants to hear it all.)
The problem I've found most aggravating lately is that everyone has "acceptable praise." There are just certain things you don't do in mixed company. There are also some things you MUST do if you are "true blue" saved and sanctified. So these people say silent prayers. This congregation sings contemporary Christian music, claps their hands and raises them high. This group gets through about one song before peeps are running up and down isles, casting out devils and charging hell with water pistols and spirit fire. It's very rare to find a place that really means it when they say "worship God in the way you feel led."
Final lesson? Just love him and love people (even when they're assholes, as best you can). When it all comes down to it, God does care about us and how we feel and yes, He is pretty fantastic so we should praise Him but maybe somedays praise just means getting on your knees and whispering a prayer with what strength you've got left, but maybe on another day it means dancing your ass off either way.
The fact is that our worship is never meant to live up to organized religion or mans' standards.
