Prayers prevents one from immoral behaviour

Surely prayer keeps (one) away from indecency and evil,

A young man who engaged in many activities which are considered Sins, but who still regularly attended congregational prayers with the Imam. When some companions of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (as) expressed their surprise at seeing the Imam tolerate the presence of such a notorious sinner, the Imam replied with wisdom and foresight: “His prayer will eventually stop him”. 

Over time, due to the constant performance of the prayer (Salah), the young man’s character and heart transformed. His commitment to prayer eventually led him to abandon his sinful lifestyle entirely and become a righteous individual. 

The lesson from this story, which is often recounted in Islamic teachings, is the profound impact of prayer as a preventive and reformative measure against evil deeds and sins, as also mentioned in the Quran (29:45): “Indeed, the prayer prohibits from immorality and wrongdoing

Lack of God-consciousness (Ghaflah – heedlessness)

Imam ?Al? (?a) said:

“How many are the worshippers whose heedlessness is greater than their remembrance, and how many are those who pray, yet they gain nothing from their prayer but exhaustion.”
(Nahj al-Bal?ghah, Saying 109)

• When the heart becomes occupied with dunya (worldly concerns), prayer starts to feel like an interruption instead of a meeting with the Beloved.