How To Regain the Will To Live (with Prayer for You)

A Word by Jamie Rohrbaugh

Have you lost your will to live today? If so, I want to pray for you.

There have been times when I have lost my will to live.

That doesn’t mean I was suicidal, although I have dealt with that too. I’m talking about something different here. I’m talking about losing my will to live–my will to go on–my will to carry out God’s purpose for my life. You can lose your will to live without actually wanting to die, but both things are equally destructive.

Have you lost your will to live also? If you have, I want to share with you today how you can get it back, based on my own personal experience. Then, at the end of this blog post, I have included a prayer for you to regain your hope and will to live.

How to regain the will to live:

... based on my own personal story.

1. Tell God where you are.

He already knows, so this is not going to be a shocker for Him. God’s not sitting in Heaven gasping in disbelief when you confess your deepest struggles to Him. He knows all about it before you do, so you can be open and honest with Him. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.

In my situation, I felt pretty battered and beat up because of some things I’d been through. I felt so bruised, and I couldn’t just snap out of it. I didn’t even realize I had lost my will to live. But I started talking to Papa about it, and my prayer went something like this:

“Papa, I just feel like I can’t go on. I’m hurting. I’ve been through the wringer. I know You’ve called me so I can’t walk away, and I want to be right with You... but I don’t have it in me to keep taking this.”

I was open and transparent with God. Honestly, even by confessing that much, I felt some sense of relief. It was like I wasn’t alone anymore; God was on my team and He was listening to me. It really helped.

In the same way, you can and should be open and transparent with God. Transparency is the only way to find freedom. When we are transparent, God can reveal the truth to us about ourselves, our situations, and His solutions. John 8:32 gives us God’s promise about this:

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

2. Ask God to give you the will to live.

In my situation, the prayer above just naturally led to my asking the Father: “Papa, I need the will to live.”

When I was praying, that thing about “the will to live” seemed to come out of nowhere. I had not been able to put a label on my feelings before, but that was it exactly. I am convinced that that particular prayer/phrase came up because the Holy Spirit was helping me pray. [Romans 8:26 states: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans” (NIV).]

After I asked the Lord to give me the will to live again, I felt a change immediately. I felt a fresh impetus–a drive–a spark come alive in my spirit that hadn’t been there for a few days.

3. Take whatever is bothering you to the Father and ask Him to fix it all, and give you favor.

We generally lose our will to live because of outward circumstances:

things we’ve hoped for that haven’t happened yet;

the way people treat us;

feeling lonely, etc.

Only Father can truly fix these issues. But He wants to do more than fix them. He wants to turn all of your situations around IN YOUR FAVOR.

When I was going through my situation, I took the things that were bothering me to the Father and asked Him to defend me, protect me, guide me.

However, I didn’t stop there. I also asked Him to work things out to bless me hugely. I asked Him to surprise me with good things and to give me favor. I also asked Him to develop my character and help me to walk righteously, no matter what.

I want to be right with God, and I want everything He has for me. Since the Holy Spirit is our Advocate (John 14:16 AMP), advocating for me is His job. It’s also His job to do great and mighty things that I don’t even know to ask for when I call upon Him (Jeremiah 33:3). He’s better at His job than anybody else, so I’m asking Him to do it–and I know He will.

Have you lost your will to live?

Papa sees and knows. Whatever you’ve been through that has left you battered and bloody, He can and will help you.

So tell Him where you are.

Ask Him to give you the will to live again.

Then pour out your heart to Him and ask Him to do great, HUGE things on your behalf in every area. Ask for all the specific things you can think of, and also ask Him to do the things you don’t even know to ask for.

If you will, then not only will He give you your will to live back, but He will also astound you at the way He turns your circumstances around.

Now I want to pray for you. Please focus on the Lord as you read it, just as if I were praying for you in person:

Father God, in Jesus’ name, I lift my friend up to You right now.

Father God, thank You that You are light and in You is no darkness at all. Thank You for making a way where there is no way; for being our Hope in a dark, lonely, and terrible world.

Father God, Your Word says that Holy Spirit is our Comforter.

My friend needs you right now. Please wrap Your loving arms around them in a tangible way right now. Comfort them. I pray that Holy Spirit would minister to them right now more than they have ever received ministry in their life. Help them to actually FEEL Your love and affection.

Father, in the name of Jesus, I rebuke the spirits of death and hopelessness away from my friend right now.

I speak to those spirits of death and hopelessness and I say: “Leave, in Jesus’ name, and go where Jesus Christ of Nazareth tells you to go, and do not return.” Father, fill my friend with Your Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus right now. Fill them with hope. I release and impart HOPE into them right now in Jesus’ name. I COMMAND LIFE into them right now in Jesus’ name.

Father God, Your Word says that hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is the tree of life. Father, I ask for an end to the hope deferred–an end to the waiting. I ask You for their desires to be fulfilled.

I call forth MIRACLES, signs, wonders, and FAVOR for my friend today in Jesus’ name. I call forth supernatural, miracle provision. I call forth:

LIGHT into the darkness, which makes the darkness flee;

HOPE into their body, heart, soul, mind, and spirit, which makes hopelessness flee; LOVE into their heart, body, soul, mind, and spirit, which makes fear flee;

JOY into every part of them from the top of their head to the soles of their feet, which makes them STRONG.

Father God, Your grace is sufficient for my friend, for Your strength is made perfect in their weakness.

So Abba Daddy God, right now make Your grace TANGIBLE in their life. Let them feel Your grace lifting them up. Let them feel Your help right now, getting them through their day. Help them to have a great day, Father; not just good, but GREAT. Let Your grace be sufficient for my friend in everything they need today.

Thank You, Father. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.