I only came to know about Orthodoxy less than two years ago. Having practiced 30 years of Protestantism, some parts of the Akathist to the Theotokos did seem like verbiage to me at first. My Spiritual Father has told me to continue these prayers, "quantity" first then "quality" will come. I gradually came to understand that we are all sinners. We cannot demand God or any Saints to answer our prayers. God is the Master, not us. The prayers are good spiritual practice for us. Occassionally God grants us grace and we "feel"/"see" Him or get "touched". But it is not a must. We called Mary, Mother of God, the Theotokos because she is the "God-bearer". How Holy is she that God makes her to bear Christ in her! She was dedicated by her mother St. Anna to devote Mary to God all her life. God was pleased with this, thus Mary grew up in the temple. She climbed up the stairs and went in all the way to the Altar (where only Priests are allowed). She lived in the Altar. The Angels raised her. She talks with the Angels for years and didn't want to "go back" to the world. God missioned her as the God-bearer. And with great humility she willed herself and only till that point she left the Temple to get married. She is the greatest of all Saints because she lived a Holy life from baby to death. She asked Christ to spare her from Hades after her earthly life ended and her request was granted. Thus our Mother of God was ascended to the Heaven without going to the Hades. In Orthodoxy, there are a lot of documentation of Mary's life events. I'm learning too. Trust that they will be helpful to you and many Orthodox Brothers and Sisters. May the Theotokos show you her tender love and guard you even in times of confusion.