Is not praying daily sinful?

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angell1

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I’ve been told no on the forums, however, neglecting daily prayer is in virtually every examination of conscience, and I still always confess it anyways, no priest has told me in confession that it’s not a sin and they have always absolved me of it.

so I am still very confused on the subject, I try to pray every day, but sometimes it just don’t happen for various reasons.
 
I wouldn’t say it’s sinful but it’s not good for you. It’s hard not to pray at all though even just a quick ‘thank you God’ before you eat would be a prayer
 
It isn’t, but it would definitely weaken us spiritually. I kind of gotten into the habit recently of this and it isn’t healthy for us Catholics.

Its like exercise, we work out daily to keep ourselves spiritually strong with Christ. Because if not, we will be very weak when we confront sin and trails and tribulations.
 
Please listen to your priest. He gave you your answer. He absolved you.
 
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I would schedule a meeting with a priest, preferably your confessor who has absolved you. He can give the best advice
 
It’s bad theology to think not praying enough is a sin. You can always convince yourself that X good activity - whether it be praying, helping others, feeding the homeless, whatever - can be done “just a little more” then wrongly convince yourself that you sinned because you didn’t do just a bit more. That’s not the way sin is/works. Sin is that which cuts us off from God. Am I really, really cutting myself off from God if I pray 10 hours a day, but, golly, I could have prayed 11? That’s unsound theology.
 
I thought examinations of conscience only contained things that were ordinarily sins
 
Im no priest, but whoever it is isn’t always going to mention that to everyone in confession. My priest, for example, will probably absolve me even if I go off on things that probably aren’t sinful.
 
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A few people have said it isn’t a sin, but it seems to bother you, so much you think your doing something sinful… so why not just try to figure out how to pray more often?

It doesnt have to be long or elaborate just a simple… Good morning Lord, thanks for waking me up.

Or what up, G-O-D love you.
Or in Your name I start my day
Or Your will be done
Or Thanks for another chance.

Something easy that can be done anytime, anywhere… and just reverse it when you go to bed.
 
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because I’ve been known to be overscrupulous, it’s gotten lot better, but it still pops up now and then.

yes, believe me, I plan to work on that
 
angell1 said:
because I’ve been known to be overscrupulous, it’s gotten lot better, but it still pops up now and then.

yes, believe me, I plan to work on that
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If you are a scrupulous person then talk to your priest. You should not ask us.
 
I’ve started reading the Baltimore catechism, and it literally says what prayers to say in the morning and the evening. I realize it’s intended for children but I’m thinking it’s helping me establish a habit of praying at those times.
 
Here’s what an actual moral theology manual hasn’t to say about the matter:
  1. Fulfilment of the obligation.
In itself this precept obliges us to pray frequently during life, but it is impossible to determine accurately how often we are bound to pray in virtue of divine law. It is the common teaching of theologians that the precept in itself binds us to pray ; 1. at the outset of man’s moral life, when man who has attained to the use of reason must first turn himself towards God; 2. in danger of death ; 3. frequently during life.

But for incidental reasons the precept obliges us to pray : I. each time that other precepts cannot be fulfilled without prayer, such as the precept of hearing Mass on Sundays ; 2. in moments of temptation to grave sin which cannot be resisted without prayer ; 3. in serious disasters, especially of a public nature. (D. Prummer, 1955, Handbook of Moral Theology , my emphasis)
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It seems that according to this source, there is no strict moral obligation to pray even calendar day.

That being said, it is certainly recommended to pray every day, and indeed we are called to “pray without ceasing.”
 
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I believe that it is sinful. In 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul said to pray without ceasing. How are you going to do that if you aren’t praying at all?
 
Drac16, if you’re correct, we sin by literally not praying every moment of every day: 24/7/365.

The Bible passage you quote is an exhortation to pray often - not a statement that we sin when we only pray, say, 10 hours a day instead of 11.

It’s bad enough that this board is populated by the overscrupulous, but your post just feeds OPs misguided sense of sin.
 
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