In his Preface, Bradshaw notes that "It may come as something of a surprise to some readers to hear that there are at least two ways of praying - with different concepts of what prayer itself is. So dominant has one particular spirituality become in nearly all Christian traditions today that many people are completely unaware that there might be such a thing as a liturgical spirituality or another way of understanding or organizing their worship and prayer life. This book has been written, therefore, primarily to open up that other way of praying to a wider audience and show what it has to offer is an important complement to the understanding of prayer with which Christians are generally familiar."