It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that the Prophet ﷺ said: "There is nothing standing between a person and Shirk (polytheism) except leaving the prayer, so if he leaves it he has committed Shirk".
The Prophet Muhammad also taught us that prayer is an important part of our faith and should not be taken lightly or neglected as it can have serious consequences on our spiritual wellbeing. He reminded us that we must remain steadfast in our prayers so that we do not fall into shirk or any other form of disbelief which would take us away from Allah’s mercy and guidance.