Lay brothers' primary purpose is to provide the practical support for running monastery workshops, farms, kitchens and the like, thereby freeing the choir monks to spend more time in prayer and study. However, lay brothers are still monks, so they also devote a significant portion of their day to prayer. Choir monks are still expected to spend a part of their day in manual labor; the distinction being the types of vows taken and the proportions of work, study and formal prayer in their lives.