Does prayer expiate minor sins, and why do we avoid minor sins when Allah is Forgiving and Merciful?

Minor sins are expiated by acts of worship, whereas major sins are not expiated except through repentance, according to the preponderant opinion. The fact that these good deeds are an expiation for a person's sin does not mean that one should be lenient in committing sins, as a person cannot guarantee the acceptance of their deeds. Furthermore, minor sins can become major when considering the greatness of the One who is disobeyed, and they accumulate, leading to the ruin of their perpetrator.