5 Prayers To Get Back Up When Life Knocks You Down

In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

It can be deeply heartbreaking to pour your energy, time, and love into something, only to watch it slip through your fingers. That kind of disappointment runs deep. It makes you question everything, your ability, your worth, your future. In those moments, it feels easier to throw in the towel, to stop trying altogether.

But here’s something I want you to remember: whether things get better or not often depends on you. If you choose to lie there in defeat, soaking in self-pity and hopelessness, nothing will change.

The situation might even get worse. But if you get back up, wipe your tears, learn from your experience, and take that next step, that’s when everything starts to shift.

So, if you’re in a season where life feels like it’s tossing you around like a rag doll, where nothing is going right and you’re exhausted just from trying, this message is for you.

Here are five essential steps to help you rise again when life knocks you down:

5 steps to get back up when life knocks you down

For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.
Proverbs 24:16

Acceptance

Sometimes, the hardest thing to do is to simply accept what has happened. We convince ourselves that if we don’t acknowledge it, maybe it didn’t really go wrong. Maybe it will still somehow work itself out.

But refusing to face reality doesn’t change it. In fact, it often makes things worse. Denial only delays healing. The first step to rising again is acceptance. Accept that things didn’t work out. Accept that you are not in control of everything. Accept that you are human, and that’s okay.

Acceptance doesn’t mean you’re okay with the outcome. It just means you are ready to move forward from it.

It’s okay to grief

After acceptance, give yourself the space to grieve. Too often we try to rush past our emotions, to move on too quickly. But healing requires honesty and that includes being honest with yourself about how you feel.

If you’re in pain, feel the pain. If you’re angry, acknowledge it. If you need to cry, then cry. There’s no shame in grieving what was lost be it a dream, a relationship, an opportunity, or a version of yourself you thought you’d become.

Grieving is not weakness. It’s a necessary part of healing. But as you grieve, remember not to let those emotions control your actions. Feel them, then let them go.

Don’t be so hard on yourself

You are your own worst critic sometimes. When things go wrong, it’s so easy to place all the blame on yourself. But the truth is, everyone fails. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone has a plan that didn’t work out.

The most successful people in this world didn’t get there because they never failed, they got there despite failing. And often, because they failed. Failure can teach you things success never could.

So be kind to yourself. Show yourself grace. Recognise the effort you put in and understand that life is unpredictable. You can’t control everything, and that doesn’t make you any less worthy.

Don’t overthink, learn and plan

When things go wrong, it’s tempting to obsess over every detail, what you said, what you did, what you could have changed. But overthinking doesn’t change the past. It only robs you of the present.

Instead of reliving the mistake, learn from it. Ask yourself, “What did this experience teach me?” Use those lessons to grow, to refine your approach, and to prepare for what comes next.

Failure isn’t the end, it’s a redirection. Sometimes what feels like a setback is actually setting you up for something better. So don’t get stuck in the past. Take what you’ve learned, and plan for your future.

Pray

Pray, pray, pray. And when you think you’ve prayed enough, pray again. Prayer is powerful. It’s not just a ritual, it’s a lifeline. When you’re down and broken, prayer connects you to strength that isn’t your own. It brings comfort when nothing else does, and peace when the world is in chaos.

When you don’t know what to say, just sit in God’s presence. Let your tears speak. Let your silence be your prayer. God understands. And He listens.

The Bible tells us in Proverbs 24:16, “For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again.” Falling is not failure. It’s a setup for a comeback.

Below are some heartfelt prayers you can say when you feel like life has knocked you down. These prayers are for the brokenhearted, the weary, the discouraged, and for anyone who is struggling to rise again.

May the Lord be your strength through this challenging time and give you the courage to bounce back, even when the odds seem stacked against you.