Some people make prayer sound like a duty, as a work that faithful Christians must perform. Some make it sound like we ought to pray three times a day, or rise before dawn, following the example of this or that famous person. I think Christians should pray not as a duty, but out of need. To put it simply, we need help, and God can give it. See Prayer: a cry for help, by Joseph Tkach

Christians can sometimes become distracted from our mission, and consider the physical activities of ministry so important that we have little if any time for fellowship with God. When we are busily engaged in hectic activity on God's behalf we can forget that Jesus corrected the Pharisees for ignoring spiritual needs. See Fellowship with God - our priority, by Joseph Tkach

Psalm 23, one of the most beloved passages of Scripture, begins with the simple truth and assurance, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. God is my shepherd not because I chose him. He is my shepherd because he chose me. That means I don't have to rely on my abilities as a sheep to secure his shepherding love. Rather, I simply need to rest in his perfect love as the perfect Shepherd. Walk through the 23rd psalm with Insights into solitude, by J. Michael Feazell

A Greek letter usually included a thanksgiving section, and most of Paul's letters have this. Often it is just a prayer of thanks; sometimes it is also a request. Paul prayed about his churches, and he also prayed for his churches. It must have been very encouraging for the people to realize that the apostle was praying for them. See Paul's pastoral prayers, by Michael Morrison

See also our series of small group studies on the spiritual disciplines: 15 lessons about prayer, study, fasting, service, worship, and many more. Click here for the table of contents.