Except that NFP isn’t about not having sex for the purpose of prayer.
It’s about trying to avoid procreation by other means than barrier methods for the purpose of being able to have sex without being open to procreation, which is what Catholicism condemns.
Catholicism, in many ways, and some very subtle, condemns sex, especially sex for the pleasure of it, as if it’s something degrading and beneath the dignity of humans, especially the “spiritual” and “holy” ones.
When I was a catholic, I got the same impression. They were very subtle about it. No one was foolish enough to actually come right out and say it. Most of us rebellious Americans, would tell them to take a hike. They did it by implying that being a nun or priest, was much better. I doubt most Catholics feel that way, but some surely do. 😁
I've never surveyed NFP'ers about their prayer lives --- maybe somebody should --- though it's such a personal and private part of their faith. It's an issue other people shouldn't be poking their noses into, in my opinion.
But it's presumptuous, as well as a tad insulting, to assume that they aren't doing intense praying when they're abstaining from sex.
My best friend, decades ago when I lived in the Bay Area CA, was a RN who was a "convert" from IUD to NFP. I knew T. and D. pretty well. She confided in me that she, and especially D., both found it difficult to abstain during her fertile time, and confided (with a half-laugh) that they fasted and prayed intensely to quell rather turbulent emotions. They also prayed hard so that their financial and health issues would improve so that they could have more kids.
Their pastor, ironically, gave them no encouragement at all. He kept saying to follow their consciences (well yeah, duh) and if it was so hard they should use contraceptives. T. told this scoundrel in confession that this WAS their shared conscientious choice, and he said "Well, then, if you've got difficulties, you've got yourselves to blame." Excuse me, but what a putz.
They ended up with five, BTW, which is highly unusual in Berkeley, and each one was such a heart-felt gift. They taught me so much about the sanctity of sex. I had never met people so much in love.
It’s the same kind of principle as annulments vs. divorce. Catholic hierarchy can deem some things a mortal sin one day (i.e., using a condom) and not a sin at all the next (using a condom if you have AIDS). I don’t know about you, but it smells like hypocrisy to me.