δέομαι (deomai)
deomai
to pray
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 22 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb deomai describes a state of need that leads to a request or petition. In the New Testament, it appears twenty-two times, primarily in Luke and Acts, with significant use in Paul’s letters. It captures the posture of someone who recognizes a lack and turns to another for help, whether asking a human healer or appealing to God.
While English translations often render it simply as "pray," the word carries a stronger sense of urgency rooted in necessity. It is not merely a formal ritual but an earnest entreaty from a position of dependence. This nuance is visible when Paul describes believers as ambassadors for Christ, imploring others to be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:20), or when the early church prayed boldly after being threatened (Acts 4:31).
Its etymological connection to binding or lacking suggests that the petitioner feels constrained by their need. Translators must balance this intensity with clarity, as the word bridges the gap between a desperate plea for aid and a structured prayer of supplication. The sources highlight its use in both personal requests, such as a leper asking Jesus for healing (Luke 5:12), and corporate prayers for spiritual strength.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word deomai invites us into a posture of honest dependence. It describes the natural response when we recognize our own limitations and turn to God for help. This is not about performing a religious duty, but about admitting that we need divine assistance to navigate life’s challenges. When we pray with this word in mind, we are acknowledging that God holds the power to meet our deepest needs.
In the New Testament, this term appears in moments of both personal desperation and corporate boldness. It bridges the gap between a quiet request for healing and a passionate plea for spiritual strength. Whether you are facing a specific trial or seeking guidance for your faith journey, deomai reminds us that our prayers are heard by a God who is ready to act.
This understanding encourages us to bring our true selves before Him. We do not need to hide our struggles or pretend we have everything figured out. Instead, we can approach the Lord with confidence, knowing that He values our sincere entreaties. Let this word shape your prayer life, turning routine requests into meaningful conversations with your Creator.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 22 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- I implore5×
- do pray earnestly3×
- praying2×
- imploring2×
- begged2×
- when were praying1×
- do beseech1×
- [10] imploring,1×
- We implore1×
- Was begging1×
- I pray1×
- I implore [you]1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- δέομαι4×
- δέομαί3×
- δεόμενοι3×
- δεήθητε3×
- ἐδεήθην2×
- ἐδεῖτο1×
- ἐδεήθη1×
- δεόμενος,1×
- δεόμενος1×
- δεόμεθα1×
- δεήθητι1×
- δεηθέντων1×
Key Verses
-
Luke 5:12
While he was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man full of leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, saying, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.”
This verse shows the raw urgency of a leper who recognizes his helplessness and directly begs Jesus for cleansing, highlighting the word's sense of desperate need.
-
Acts 4:31
When they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were gathered together. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
Here the early church uses this form of prayer to request boldness, demonstrating how deomai fuels spiritual courage in the face of opposition.
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Luke 22:32
but I prayed for you, that your faith wouldn’t fail. You, when once you have turned again, establish your brothers.”
Jesus uses this term to describe His intercession for Peter, showing that even the Son of God engaged in earnest prayer to strengthen another's faith.
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II Corinthians 5:20
We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Paul employs this word metaphorically to describe ambassadors imploring others to be reconciled to God, extending the concept of urgent pleading beyond personal requests.