There are many misconceptions about prayer, ranging from what it is to how and why we pray. Dr. James Papandrea breaks open the wisdom of early Christians to enrich your spiritual life and help you develop a daily rhythm for fruitful conversation with God. Here is the spiritual game plan you need to open your heart more fully to the Father's invitation, receive His love, live virtuously, and enter into deeper communion with Him. Through the lives of early Church Fathers and Mothers, Dr. Papandrea emphasizes the centrality of the Mass and the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist to our prayer lives, providing methods to help you benefit more at Mass and in daily life, and ways to grow in gratitude and devotion. You will learn how the sacraments were practiced in the early Church and their power in flooding us with God's graces today. In these transformative pages, you will find: Why the Eucharist was the most important prayer from the Church's inception, How Our Lady shows us what prayer really is and ways we can imitate her, Three meta-virtues in prayer and five characteristics of righteousness, How to pray without ceasing and develop "prayer attitudes", Three tips on surrendering yourself to God's will, Three things that block God's grace (Brace yourself!), Dr. Papandrea also reveals the biblical roots of making the Sign of the Cross and what the early Christians taught about the layers of meaning in the Our Father. Moreover, he documents what early Christians believed regarding Bible reading, praying for the dead, the role of the saints, repetition in prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Also included are sections on how to pray like an early Christian, actual prayers from early Christians, and an invaluable prayer plan.