Can not praying enough be a sin?

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Title says all.

It may be a weird question, but sometimes I do wonder. I mean, praying is communication and time with our Father and Creator, so, how wrong is it not to talk with him enough, or even at all?
 
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This is a tough one, but I rather doubt it, as you likely mean.

I think it can be, if you are someone who never prays, or only when you need God and you immediately forget Him when whatever crisis you have passes.

That said, someone can always say, “I could have prayed more.” If I pray 12 hours a day, some person may say,
“You could have prayed 13 hours!” The Bible commands us to pray “unceasingly” and I believe that a verse like that can fuel the scrupulous into thinking they sin by not praying enough.

A survivor of the Titanic sinking recalled seeing how, as the ship sank, some stood praying while others saved themselves. I know he was dismissive later, saying “why didn’t they try to save themselves?” Maybe they would have thought he sinned - but he lived and they died. So I’m reluctant to say, for purposes of this board, that you really sin by not praying enough.
 
Let’s put it this way.
We are only “commanded” to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.

Outside of that, it’s up to our discretion when to pray.

At the same time, there’s more to life than just sin or not-sin. Assuming you believe in the existence of a Father-God who created and loves us, it’s entirely reasonable to want to be in relationship with Him, and prayer is how we do that.
 
To answer your question, I would give a strong no, it is not a sin. God is forever with us, within us, inspiring and guiding us. We are immersed in God like fish are in water. The fish are not aware of the water but are in constant communion with it. The fact you would even ask this question tells me you are acutely aware of God. A wise person once said, a single grateful thought is the most complete prayer. We are communing with God in every breath we take. I would not let your worry become a burden, I suspect you are doing fine.

On a personal note, I have gone months without formal prayer, yet my mind is aware every waking moment that I am with Him and He with me. Conversation is not necessary when love bonds us to the Eternal.
 
0Scarlett_nidiyilii said:
Outside of that, it’s up to our discretion when to pray.
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In Luke 18, Christ told us “men ought always to pray”.

Christ said “When you pray” not “if you pray”. Prayer is communication with our Lord and our God.

Catechism: 2701 Vocal prayer is an essential element of the Christian life. To his disciples, drawn by their Master’s silent prayer, Jesus teaches a vocal prayer, the Our Father. He not only prayed aloud the liturgical prayers of the synagogue but, as the Gospels show, he raised his voice to express his personal prayer, from exultant blessing of the Father to the agony of Gesthemani.

Communication is vital to relationship. Your marriage, your friendships, would quickly end if you stopped communicating with the other. Prayer is vital to the Christian life, it is not optional or “up to our discretion”
 
Fair enough 🙂

I was getting the sense that the poster was looking for a definite and measurable threshold of prayer time, and then less than that meant to be in a state of sin.

But I may have been misreading the question.
 
Well, for example, if I said morning prayers, grace before meals and so, but didn’t pray at night, would God be offended, or even consider that a sin. I meant the question in a way like that. 😀
 
We are each in a relationship. Only the persons in that relationship know when communication is lacking.
 
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