The Pursuit of God

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The Pursuit of God

Two of Tozer’s Tools: Contemplation and Spiritual Classics

As a sixteen-year-old, my (Hank’s) mom gave me my first “theology” book, A. W. Tozer’s The Pursuit of God . I remember being amazed at the depth of Tozer’s passion for the presence of the Lord. It was different from what I had experienced elsewhere; thirty years later I find myself still hungry to know God in the way Tozer describes. Perhaps you have had a similar experience as you have read or reread this edition of The Pursuit of God ? How did Tozer’s soul grow in its desire for God? Tozer emphasized that it is the desire itself that is the important thing. But how does one increase desire? Two practices modeled in Tozer’s own life are especially worthy of imitation (Heb 13:7). The first is contemplative prayer and the second is a habit of regularly reading from spiritual classics. Contemplation or Contemplative Prayer Tozer’s dedication to prayer is frequently noted by those who knew him. Imagine witnessing one of the scenes described below: finding Tozer praying in his church office or stumbling over him as the sun comes up along the beach of Lake Michigan. Tozer spent incalculable hours in prayer. Most of his prolonged prayer time—with his Bible and hymnals as his only companions—took place in his church office on the back side of the second floor. He would carefully hang up his suit trousers and don his sweater and raggedy old “prayer pants” and sit for a while on his ancient office couch. After a time his spirit would drift into another realm. In time, he would abandon the couch, get on his knees, and