Does the bible command us to pray three times a day or how many times a day we should pray?

The Bible never explicitly says that we are to pray three times a day; however, this idea does appear in very early Christian documents. For instance, the Didache (which most scholars date to the first-century AD) says the following:

Do not pray like the hypocrites, but rather as the Lord commanded in His Gospel, like this:

"Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily (needful) bread, and forgive us our debt as we also forgive our debtors. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (or, evil); for Thine is the power and the glory for ever."

Pray this three times each day.

So it's clear that the idea of thrice-daily prayer goes back a long way in Christian tradition. Many people also take Psalm 55:16-17 to recommend the practice. There are many devotional practices in the Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican traditions (such as the praying of daily orders) which are structured in this way.

Does the bible command us to pray three times a day or how many times a day we should pray?

The Scriptures do not command us to pray “x” number of times a day, but the bible does give us examples of praying at certain times during the day.

Nevertheless as faithful Christians we should devote some time each day to prayer. Our Creator deserve at least a little portion of our attention span each day.

Jewish law requires Jews to pray thrice a day; the morning prayer is known as Shacharit, the afternoon prayer is known as Mincha, and the evening prayer is known as Maariv. According to Jewish tradition, the prophet Abraham introduced Shacharit, the prophet Isaac introduced Mincha, and the prophet Jacob introduced Maariv. Jews historically prayed in the direction of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem, where the "presence of the transcendent God (shekinah) [resided] in the Holy of Holies of the Temple". In the Bible, it is written that when the prophet Daniel was in Babylon, he "went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open to Jerusalem; and he got down upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously" (cf. Daniel 6:10). After its destruction, Jews continue to pray facing Jerusalem in hope for the coming of the Messiah whom they await.- Fixed prayer times

10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days. - Daniel 6:10

In the Early Church the faithful were inspired instructed to pray seven times a day. No doubt this was inspired from St. Paul who taught to pray without ceasing. Thus the Early Church in some small way imitated the Prophet Elijah also.

17 Pray without ceasing.

18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

19 Quench not the Spirit. - 1 Thessalonians 5:17-19

42 So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.

43 “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked.

“There is nothing there,” he said.

Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” - 1 Kings 18:42-43

The Early Church and later monastic traditions maintained the form of praying seven (7) times a day.

From the time of the early Church, the practice of seven fixed prayer times have been taught. In Apostolic Tradition, Hippolytus instructed Christians to pray seven times a day, "on rising, at the lighting of the evening lamp, at bedtime, at midnight" and "the third, sixth and ninth hours of the day, being hours associated with Christ's Passion." Christians attended two liturgies on the Lord's Day, worshipping communally in both a morning service and evening service, with the purpose of reading the Scriptures and celebrating the Eucharist. Throughout the rest of the week, Christians assembled at the church every day for morning prayer (which became known as lauds) and evening prayer (which became known as vespers), while praying at the other fixed prayer times privately; Christian monastics came to gather together to corporately pray all of the canonical hours communally. This practice of seven fixed prayer times was done in the bodily positions of prostration and standing, which continues today in some Christian denominations, especially those of Oriental Christianity.

Oriental Orthodox Christians (such as Copts, Armenians, Syriacs and Indians), as well certain Oriental Protestant denominations (such as the Mar Thoma Syrian Church), use a breviary such as the Agpeya and Shehimo to pray the canonical hours seven times a day while facing in the eastward direction, in anticipation of the Second Coming of Jesus; this Christian practice has its roots in Psalm 119:164, in which the prophet David prays to God seven times a day. In the Indian Christian and Syriac Christian tradition, these canonical hours are known as Vespers (Ramsho [6 pm]), Compline (Soutoro [9 pm]), Nocturns (Lilio [12 am]), Matins (Sapro [6 am]), third hour prayer (Tloth shoin [9 am]), sixth hour prayer (Sheth shoin [12 pm]), and ninth hour prayer (Tsha' sho`in [3 pm]). In the Coptic Christian and Ethiopian Christian tradition, these seven canonical hours are known as the First Hour (Prime [6 am]), the Third Hour (Terce [9 am]), the Sixth Hour (Sext [12 pm]), the Ninth Hour (None [3 pm]), the Eleventh Hour (Vespers [6 pm]), the Twelfth Hour (Compline [9 pm]), and the Midnight office [12 am]; monastics pray an additional hour known as the Veil. Church bells are tolled at these hours to enjoin the faithful to Christian prayer. Those who are unable to pray the canonical hour of a certain fixed prayer time may recite the Qauma, in the Indian Orthodox tradition.

In Western Christianity and Eastern Orthodox Christianity, the practice of praying the canonical hours at fixed prayer times became mainly observed by monastics and clergy, though today, the Catholic Church encourages the laity to pray the Liturgy of the Hours and in the Lutheran Churches and Anglican Communion, breviaries such as The Brotherhood Prayer Book and the Anglican Breviary, respectively, are used to pray the Daily Office; the Methodist tradition has emphasized the praying of the canonical hours as an "essential practice" in being a disciple of Jesus, with the Order of Saint Luke, a Methodist religious order, printing The Book of Offices and Services to serve this end. - Fixed prayer times

More relevant Scripture sources are as follows:

• It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. - Luke 6:12

• At midnight I shall rise to give thanks to You Because of Your righteous ordinances. - Psalm 119:62

• 25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. - Acts 16:25-26

In the end the Bible does not command us to pray three times a days or even seven times a day for that matter. But the Scriptures have enough examples of various people praying at certain times of the day, to make it an acceptable and encourage-able Christian practice.

The idea that the Bible commands us to pray three times a day is based on at least two scriptural references:

When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem; and he got down upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. (Dan 6:10)

I call upon God; and the Lord will save me. Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he will hear my voice. (Ps 55:16-17)

However, these indicate only the customary prayers of specific people, namely the prophet Daniel and the psalmist. No doubt certain spiritual disciplines, both Christian and Jewish, involve thrice-daily prayers, but these are nowhere commanded in either Testament.

I believe the reason the tradition of praying three times a day comes from the Old Testament:

Psalm 55:17

Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

Daniel 6:10

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

But Jesus and His Apostles taught us to pray always.

Luke 18:1

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint...

1 Thes. 5:17

Pray without ceasing.

Eph. 6:18

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit...

Luke 21:36

Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Having said that...

I have not taken the time to look into the original language connotations of the use of the word "always," which in English can mean either "continually" or "for this purpose."

To be honest, I subscribe to a bit of poetry from Victor Hugo:

Certain thoughts are prayers. There are moments when, whatever be the attitude of the body, the soul is on its knees.

and I believe in a bit of non-Biblical verse from my own faith:

...the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray.

In other words, I don't believe there's a fixed number of times you should pray in a day, nor that the Bible establishes a minimum or maximum number of prayers that should be said daily. I believe it's teaching that we should be constantly looking to God, whether by voice or by attitude.