Begging God for church workers

(LCMS/Erik M. Lunsford)

By James Baneck

Was there a time in your life when you begged and pleaded with God as though nothing else mattered — as though you had never prayed for anything more important? What dire need dropped you to your knees and led you to implore the almighty God to answer you?

In the Greek translation of the New Testament, different words are used to mean “pray.” One is translated as a supplication, request or thanksgiving to God. Another means begging, pleading and imploring God with great intensity — as though one’s very life depends on it.

You might ask, “Where is this begging and pleading word used in the Bible? What was going on that caused people to drop to their knees and implore God to give an answer?”

In Luke 5, there was a man full of leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged (prayed) Him, “Lord, if You will, You can make me clean.”

In Luke 9, there was a father whose son was seized by an unclean spirit. The father said, “Teacher, I beg (pray) You to look at my son, for he is my only child.”

In Acts 21, St. Paul was imprisoned. When he was brought out to the crowd, he so much wanted to tell them about Jesus Christ. He said, “I beg (pray) you, permit me to speak to the people.”

In 2 Corinthians 5, St. Paul so much wanted the people to have eternal salvation. He said, “We implore (pray) you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

The word used in each instance for pray, beg and implore are all that same Greek word: déomai.

There is another significant place in the Bible where Jesus Himself uses this word déomai for “pray.” You know it very well. “Therefore pray (beg, plead, implore) earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Matt. 9:38).

Jesus is describing an urgent need for the church — from the time He walked upon the earth, to our day, until He returns on the Last Day. This urgent need is for spokesmen to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ through which the Holy Spirit creates, plants, nourishes and sustains saving faith in the sinner. In this context, Jesus identifies the need: The crowds are like sheep without a shepherd, a pastor. In essence, Jesus is saying, “Turn to the Lord and beg Him right now for pastors to preach and teach the holy Word of Christ.”

Also, without getting too technical, Jesus is calling for this need to be the shared burden of the whole church — every Christian, everywhere, for all time. In comparison to all else, there is nothing more important than the Word of Christ preached into our ears that we may have eternal life.

Like the leper, like the father with the demon-possessed son, like St. Paul who begged to speak the Word of God, like St. Paul who implores all people to be reconciled to God — so do we beg, plead and implore God for more pastors. And in the LCMS, we also pray for more servants who support the Office of the Holy Ministry — teachers, directors of Christian education, deaconesses, directors of parish music and all of the other wonderful commissioned workers of our church.

And so, I call upon everyone in the LCMS to beg, plead and implore God to give us more pastors and greatly needed commissioned church workers so that our children, grandchildren and all of God’s people will ever be able to hear the saving Gospel that gives them eternal life.

Lord of the harvest, as You bid Your disciples to pray for harvest laborers, so we beg You to continue to send workers of Your Word. Raise up, we implore You, servants of Your Word, that Your church may proclaim Your saving cross until You come in glory, for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Posted June 26, 2026