As breathing is to life, prayer is to the Church. The breath of life comes into us; prayer rises within us, and communion with God becomes the most normal thing that there is... We are pray-ers! Our life is a prayer! Our stance in God is a prayer. Our place in Him is a place of prayer! Prayer is what we build into our lives. Prayer is what we become! We are an outworking of how we work with Him.
Drawing a cross on your forehead won't get you into heaven, for real heaven can only manifest around us on earth, if we, the individual humans, start acting as civilized creatures of conscience and character.