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    The Pursuit of God
    The Pursuit of God
    The Pursuit of God
    Ebook153 pages2 hours

    The Pursuit of God

    By A. W. Tozer

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    The Pursuit of God is the enduring Christian classic written by renowned pastor and theologian A.W. Tozer. More than 65 years later, the words Tozer penned on a train from Illinois to Texas echo across the decades to resonate with power in the heart of anyone longing for a deeper experience with God. This devotional masterpiece is at once thought-provoking and spirit-enlivening, an invitation to think deeply about your faith even as you come alive to God's presence surrounding, sustaining and--yes--pursuing you. "This book is a modest attempt," Tozer wrote, "to aid God's children so to find Him." If you are hungry, The Pursuit of God will lead you to the only One who can satisfy the soul.

    Editor's Note

    A Christian classic…

    The definitive work of one of the most influential figures in Christian theology, this book by famed American pastor A.W. Tozer is an enduring meditation on devotion, life, and God’s place in it all.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBaker Publishing Group
    Release dateNov 8, 2013
    ISBN9781441267498
    Author

    A. W. Tozer

    The late Dr. A. W. Tozer was well known in evangelical circles both for his long and fruitful editorship of the Alliance Witness as well as his pastorate of one of the largest Alliance churches in the Chicago area. He came to be known as the Prophet of Today because of his penetrating books on the deeper spiritual life.

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    Reviews for The Pursuit of God

    4.5/5

    27 ratings18 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I listened to the audio version narrated by Grover Gardner. There is an introduction that tells about A.W. Tozer. It seems he was a mystic and I gathered that from some of what he says in the book. He writes from a 1948 Christian awareness of how to speak about God. He speaks only of Christians and Christianity. I could imagine today that he might be more like Merton having a dialog with the Dalai Lama, but that is not what is to be found in this book. What I particularly liked was his emphasis on an experience of God and not a reliance on dogma, Bible, prayer, or ministry to others. He applauds those things, but he sees the basis of it all as an experience of God. He does not attempt to give us an idea of what his experience of God is. I got the impression that he leaves that to each person to find out and not just once, but to continually be open to that experience. It sounds like Tozer's environment was one of a society where almost everyone was a professed Christian. He is speaking to them and trying to draw them into actually experiencing more. His way into that seems to be to truly desire it. I don't remember a lot of dos and don'ts in the book.
    • 5/5
      Easily the best book I have read this year (2007). Tozer attempts to ignite a passion in Christians to pursue knowing God. One of the prayers in the book captures the theme, "O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, so that I may know Thee indeed." [20] Should be mandatory reading for every follower of Jesus, especially who are feeling like their faith has become ritualistic.
    • 2/5
      Notes for a longer review: - Underwhelming.- Very much the "christianity is not a religion, it's a relationship" kind of approach. Touchy-feely, big on the Heart and Personal Revelation, but not so much on rigorous thinking and epistemology. Opinions, subjective truths, tries to avoid saying things that can be pinned down and considered carefully. The goal is not to present a coherent system of thought/belief, but to bemoan the loss of True Christianity, of the Simpler Days, of the easy black-and-white worldviews. - disparages both sceptics and theologians, those who have a more intellectual approach to the christian faith than the emotional one Tozer favours- reason, thinking, etc. can be discarded in favour of emotions, gut-feeling and personal revelation. - the vast majority of christians are Doing It Rong. But not Tozer. He's Doing It Rite. - promotes self-mortification, denying the self. Only valid if you agree with the presupposition that anything that doesn't serve god is ipso facto selfish and sinful. If I agreed with that, I'd already be a christian- In favour of things that feel poetically true, can be formulated in rhetorically satisfactory ways (echoing new testament verbiage), as opposed to things that can be demonstrated to be true. - when Tozer briefly chooses to acknowledge the conflicts between scientific accounts and his religious preferences, he throws an Argument from Ignorance and other fallacies at us (e.g. false equivalence) and considers that a Job Well Done.
    • 4/5
      The stark beauty of this author's words leave me breathless every time I sit down with this book. Each journey through it's pages shows me something new, some bit that helps me focus my own heart and mind just a little more sharply. Not a book I'd ever loan out, but one I DO highly recommend.
    • 5/5
      A excellent devotional. It realy touches the heart and brings you to your knees.
    • 5/5
      Another of the great Christian books. Read and pray.
    • 3/5
      Author is self-taught, associated with Christian Missionary Alliance, with honorary degree from Wheaton, and 60 republications of articles and sermons into books. Tozer provided a thorough explanation about God's universal presence, and he stated that God offers His love to all His children. The degree of our fellowship with God relies on us, which is why we cannot say that He is too preoccupied to give us His time. Instead, our Heavenly Father pursues us to be with Him. Yet, only a few respond to God's call to build a personal relationship with our Creator.Interestingly, in 1963, Tozer documents the fact that few Americans were practicing Christianity. Few. Very few. I appreciate his self-taught voice from the study of a wide variety of "scriptural" sources (not sectarian), preaching the idea that God is pursuing us--all of us--out of love, and in spite of our Sins. Tozer puts the trumpet to his lips warning against greed, selfishness, fraud and materialism. He is a prophet of "spiritual" richness, ecumenically drawing from all spiritual traditions. Tozer does not deal with theodicy or nature, and treats "God" as a metaphor Creator.
    • 5/5
      This was one of those books that makes me hunger and thirst for more of God. I read it after reading "50 Characters Every Christian Should Know". The content was outstanding and prayer provoking. I would strongly recommend to a first time reader to acquire a printed version. The EBook allowed me the ability to save snippets and quotes and I have saved many. However, the source I acquired it from apparently made a dozen or more word errors in the OCR process. This at first appeared to me to be a manuscript error but as I reached the very last page it became obvious to me that it was a publication copy error. How can I complain when it was offered to me at no charge by the publisher,However, it gets to you. I pray that the Holy Spirit will speak to you through it as abundantly as he does to me.
    • 4/5
      One of the modern classics in Christian literature by a man who does not mince his words in condemnation of the state of the Christian church today. A.W. Tozer says,"Every age has its own characteristics. Right now we are in an age of religious complexity. The simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found among us. In its stead are programs, methods, organizations and a world of nervous activities which occupy time and attention but can never satisfy the longing of the heart. The shallowness of our inner experience, the hollowness of our worship and that servile imitation of the world which marks our promotional methods all testify that we, in this day, know God only imperfectly, and the peace of God scarcely at all." With this declaration A.W. Tozer reaches out to the majority of American Christians today who are satisfied with a lukewarm brand of religion while experiencing none of the joy that comes from the pursuit of God.
    • 5/5
      I recognized the name A. W. Tozer, because he is so often quoted by Christian writers. The pursuit of God is a devotional book, and you know, all devotional writers say the same things. I'll let you be the judge. Here are some quotes from The Pursuit of God: "Sins are not something we do, they are something we are. "Let us remember: when we talk of the rending of the veil, we are speaking in a figure, and the thought of it is almost poetical, almost pleasant; but in actuality there is nothing pleasant about it. In human experience that veil is made of living spiritual tissue...and to touch it is to touch us where we feel pain. It is never fun to die. Yet that is what the cross did to Jesus and it is what the cross would do to every man to set him free. Let us beware of tinkering with our inner life in hope ourselves to rend the veil. God must do everything for us. "Ten million intelligences standing at as many points in space...can each say with equal truth, God is here. No point is nearer to God than any other point. Jacob, 'in the waste howling wilderness'...cried out in wonder.'Surely God is in this place and I knew it not.'" "God will not hold us responsible to understand the mysteries of election, predestination, and divine sovereignty. Prying into them may make theologians, but it will never make saints. "In the beginning He spoke to nothing, and it became something. "Faith is the least self-regarding of the virtues. It is by its very nature scarcely conscious of its own existence. While we are looking to God we do not see ourselves~ blessed riddance."
    • 3/5
      A book that should be read multiple times to get the most out of it. Tozer expresses the way to God.
    • 4/5
      God is in pursuit of you.

      "The Pursuit of God" is the enduring Christian classic by renowned pastor and theologian A.W. Tozer. More than 65 years later, the words Tozer penned on a train from Illinois to Texas echo across the decades to resonate with power in the heart of anyone longing for a deeper experience with God.

      This devotional masterpiece is at once thought-provoking and spirit-enlivening, an invitation to think deeply about your faith even as you come alive to God's presence surrounding, sustaining and pursuing you. "This book is a modest attempt," Tozer wrote, "to aid God's hungry children so to find Him." If you are hungry, "The Pursuit of God" will lead you to the only One who can satisfy the soul.
    • 4/5
      Tozer's call to a life drenched in Christ is one of the best there is. You can clearly see his passion and love in every line. It is a call back to pure Scripture and love, not tricks and power of will. The book is worthwhile to new Christians for an idea of the promises of what is to come, and also old Christians who simply want to meditate on the wonders of God.
    • 5/5
      Perhaps the best book of its genre that I have ever read! If you are a Believer, Tozar cuts to the chase as to the what, why, and how of your relationship with God. This book is not a one-time read, but instead should be treated and read at least monthly as a foundational reminder and how-to of the beauty of a personal relationship with God. Warning: This book will change your life!
    • 5/5
      A.W. Tozer’s The Pursuit of God is a spiritual classic that deserves to be read repeatedly. Tozer’s writing reflects the fire and vitality found in his recorded sermons, a fire and vitality that come from a life that is God-ward in its orientation.In ten shorts chapters Tozer distills the biblical truths surrounding our lifelong pursuit of God as believers. In these chapters Tozer speaks to realities that were and are distant realities in American evangelicalism. As Tozer states, “We are overrun today with orthodox scribes, but the prophets, where are they? The hard voice of the scribe sounds over evangelicalism, but the church waits for the tender voice of the saint who has penetrated the veil and has gazed with inward eye upon the wonder that is God (p. 49).” Tozer’s observations about evangelicalism are still true today, reading it one would think Tozer was writing about the current state of Christianity in America rather than the late 1940s.Tozer was one of the spiritual giants of his day and had an insight into the spiritual conditions of the church. Of his published works this might be one of the most important in my opinion. I have listened to Tozer’s recorded sermons since my college days and have always found him to have a balance and insight that makes him worth listening to and reading. Tozer’s hope for the Church in writing this book is that it would awaken it from the slumber which is so evident. Read Tozer and you will see the heart of one who has penetrated the veil in his pursuit of God.Disclosure: I received a copy of the book from the publisher for the purpose of reviewing it. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review.
    • 4/5
      “O taste and see that the Lord is good.”This book was given to me by a friend, and I was immediately drawn to the title. I feel like much of my life is a pursuit of God. But the theme wasn’t quite what I expected.The author assumes that, in our pursuit of God, we have already found him, and discovered him to be a person–a person who thinks, wills, enjoys, feels, loves, desires and suffers like all of us. But having found God, we are in danger of falling into the trap of thinking we need no longer seek him.Tozer points out that for millions of Christians, God is no more real than he is to the non-Christian. They do not know him personally, but go through life trying to love an ideal. The book reads like a sermon trying to bring us back to Jesus.So while there were many parts that I could no longer connect with, having outgrown a conservative belief system, it nevertheless appealed to me. It appealed because it put me effortlessly back in a comfort zone. I felt like I was back in church. Tozer’s “sermon” is mesmerizing, hypnotizing, intoxicating, just as good religion should be. Or, if you’re not so fond of church, it will lull you to sleep.Create Space, © 2013, 76 pagesISBN: 978-1484076439
    • 5/5
      Title: The Pursuit of God (Updated Edition)Author: A. W. TozerPages: 128Year: 2015Publisher: Aneko PressMy rating is 5 stars out of 5.When I read the title and author, I was drawn back in my mind to the day I married my husband in a church. It was the very church where Tozer preached to people. There are other writings of Tozer that are also rich in teaching and if possible read about Tozer’s life. Tozer was a man who sought hard after God and in this book he challenges all to live a life fully and completely for God.Some of the chapter themes were convicting as I read and realized God was speaking to my heart about where He is working. Other times I was challenged in my thoughts or comforted emotionally. There is always room for the believer to grow in becoming more Christ like and this book is one where words of exhortation are delivered without apology. Prayers are given to aid the person in asking for the Lord’s help, hand or voice.Nothing replaces the Bible; however, there are authors who have written what God has laid on their heart to share with others in the hopes of drawing them near to Him. Tozer is one such author. The book was originally published in 1948 and some of the problems that we see in the Body needing to be addressed are addressed by the author. Draw near to the heart of the author as he points the reader to the heart and mind of our God!Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
    • 5/5
      Book Review (#9 of 2011)
      The Pursuit of God by AW Tozer (free PDF). This book is shorter than a Kindle Single, but I will call it a "book" anyway. I was using it as part of a discipleship time with a younger guy who is going overseas this summer. I treated each chapter/essay as sort of a daily devotional and found it very convicting, uplifting, and humbling. (I used GoodReader on the iPad for this as it gives you plenty of options for note-taking, highlighting, etc.).

      Tozer is a pastor writing in the 1940s. He applauds the church's return to Scripture but bemoans the unintended side-effects:

      "Thanks to our splendid Bible societies and to other effective agencies for the dissemination of the Word, there are today many millions of people who hold 'right opinions,' probably more than ever before in the history of the Church. Yet I wonder if there was ever a time when true spiritual worship was at a lower ebb. To great sections of the Church the art of worship has been lost entirely, and in its place has come that strange and foreign thing called the “program.” This word has been borrowed from the stage and applied with sad wisdom to the type of public service which now passes for worship among us."


      Worship and Spirit-filled living are more than preaching and learning, it's about seeking God in all we do:

      "How tragic that we in this dark day have had our seeking done for us by our teachers. Everything is made to center upon the initial act of “accepting” Christ (a term, incidentally, which is not found in the Bible) and we are not expected thereafter to crave any further revelation of God to our souls. We have been snared in the coils of a spurious logic whcih insists that if we have found Him we need no more seek Him."

      Tozer's words on humility, meekness, holding possessions loosely, and emphasizing the emotional aspects of worship (as opposed to purely mental) were very timely for me. He closes each chapter with a very tough prayer. For example:

      "Be Thou exalted over my reputation. Make me ambitious to please Thee even if as a result I must sink into obscurity and my name be forgotten as a dream."



      His closing chapter is based on 1 Corinthians 10:31 and is aimed at the false dichotomy of secular and sacred. This is a very key point for those involved in a "business as missions" mindset. Whatever we do, wherever we work, whatever task we're assigned, we can worship as we do it. Work is worship. Some jobs are not as important as others, and we're not all equals in the tasks, but all jobs (and meals, and commutes, and diaper changes, and breaths, etc.) can be worship. I love how Tozer puts it:

      "Paul's sewing of tents was not equal to his writing an Epistle to the Romans, but both were accepted of God and both were true acts of worship. Certainly it is more important to lead a soul to Christ than to plant a garden, but the planting of the garden can be as holy an act as the winning of a soul."

      The “layman” need never think of his humbler task as being inferior to that of his minister. Let every man abide in the calling wherein he is called and his work will be as sacred as the work of the ministry.


      His closing prayer:

      "I want to live so fully in the Spirit that all my thought may be as sweet incense ascending to Thee and every act of my life may be an act of worship."


      5 stars out of 5.

    Book preview

    The Pursuit of God - A. W. Tozer

    Reflections from Inspired by Tozer

    The first thing by Tozer I ever read was the closing prayer from the first chapter of The Pursuit of God. In my memory, it went something like: God, I have tasted Thee and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. That changed my life. I’ve been in pursuit of God ever since.

    Britt MerrickFounding pastor of the Reality family of churches

    What I love most about A. W. Tozer’s writing is its heart and authenticity. In a world that celebrates education and ever-growing knowledge, it is refreshing that a man with no more than an elementary education speaks with such wisdom—wisdom that could only be imparted by the Holy Spirit at work in his life. This is why Tozer’s writings are so stirring to those who read them.

    Scott SmithMusic director for K-LOVE radio

    I never heard Tozer preach. Yet, in a very real sense, this great man of God lives on, influencing my life and many others, for his pen continues to punch holes in our pseudo-sophistication. It prods us awake when we would otherwise nod off into dreamland.

    Charles R. SwindollChancellor, Dallas Theological Seminary

    If we truly want to reflect the love of God, we must go on a search-and-destroy mission to uproot every sin, small and great, lurking in our hearts. We must sniff out every hidden fault and snuff out every secret transgression that tries to disguise itself as acceptable. I’m serious about this. Reading A. W. Tozer—who wrote prolifically about eschewing evil—has helped me greatly in my understanding of the necessity of dealing ruthlessly with sin.

    Joni Eareckson TadaFounder and CEO of Joni and Friends International Disability Center

    As a young man, I had determined to hear as many great preachers of my day as possible. Since these great men knew God, walked with God, and had the influence of God on their ministries, I wanted their God to touch me. That is why I went to hear A. W. Tozer. I wanted to touch God, but more importantly, I wanted God to touch me. To tell you the truth, I don’t remember the title of Tozer’s message or its content. But I do remember experiencing the presence of God in the building. I remember feeling that Tozer knew God in a way that I didn’t. In spite of not remembering what he said, I will forever be glad I braved the wind and rain to hear A. W. Tozer preach that evening. Being in the presence of this godly man strengthened my own longing for God.

    Elmer L. TownsDean emeritus of the School of Religion and Theological Seminary at Liberty University

    God used A. W. Tozer to turn a directionless, dry Christ-follower into a joy-filled, passionate worshiper, and this is why I am a worship leader to this day! God’s anointing in Tozer’s writings has played a huge role in giving me this great passion to make people long for God, worship God and, out of that, serve God!

    Tommy WalkerSongwriter and worship leader, Christian Assembly, Los Angeles

    Books by A.W. Tozer

    COMPILED AND EDITED BY JAMES L. SNYDER

    Alive in the Spirit

    And He Dwelt Among Us

    A Cloud by Day, a Fire by Night

    The Crucified Life

    The Dangers of a Shallow Faith

    Delighting in God

    A Disruptive Faith

    The Essential Tozer Collection 3-in-1

    Experiencing the Presence of God

    God’s Power for Your Life

    Living as a Christian

    My Daily Pursuit

    No Greater Love

    Preparing for Jesus’ Return

    The Purpose of Man

    The Pursuit of God

    Reclaiming Christianity

    Voice of a Prophet

    The Wisdom of God

    The Quotable Tozer

    Books by James L. Snyder

    The Life of A.W. Tozer: In Pursuit of God

    The Authorized Biography

    © 2013 by Baker Publishing Group

    Published by Bethany House Publishers

    11400 Hampshire Avenue South

    Bloomington, Minnesota 55438

    www.bethanyhouse.com

    Bethany House Publishers is a division of

    Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan

    www.bakerpublishinggroup.com

    Previously published by Regal Books in 2013

    Bethany House trade paper edition published in 2014

    Bethany House hardcover edition published in 2020

    Ebook edition created 2020

    All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

    Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

    ISBN 978-1-4412-6749-8

    Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.

    Quote from the Wisdom of Solomon in chapter 3, identified KJVA, is from the King James Version with Apocrypha. www.kingjamesbibleonline.org.

    Cover design by Studio Gearbox

    Contents

    Cover    1

    Reflections from Inspired by Tozer    2

    Books by A.W. Tozer    4

    Title Page    5

    Copyright Page    6

    Introduction by James L. Snyder    9

    Preface    19

    1. Following Hard After God    23

    2. The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing    33

    3. Removing the Veil    43

    4. Apprehending God    57

    5. The Universal Presence    67

    6. The Speaking Voice    79

    7. The Gaze of the Soul    89

    8. Restoring the Creator-Creature Relation    101

    9. Meekness and Rest    111

    10. The Sacrament of Living    119

    The Life of A.W. Tozer    131

    Notes    157

    Back Ads    159

    Back Cover    161

    Introduction

    I was fifteen years old when first introduced to The Pursuit of God. A retired missionary in our congregation approached me one Sunday, and I noticed she had a book in hand.

    Young man, she said rather soberly, here is a book I think you ought to read.

    She thrust the book into my hands and disappeared. I looked at the book; it was The Pursuit of God by a man I had heard my pastor quote quite often, Dr. A.W. Tozer.

    The woman had probably overheard me say I enjoyed reading. What she had not heard was that I enjoyed reading novels, not books by preachers. Reading a book by some dead minister was not on my to-do list. I liked preachers, but I just did not think at the time they had much relevance in my life. For the most part, preachers preached over my head. At least, I used that excuse at the time. But I brought the book home and, frankly, forgot about it.

    The next Sunday this same missionary was waiting for me as I entered the church.

    Did you read the book? How did you like the book?

    At first I did not know what she was talking about, and then it dawned on me: She had given me a book the previous Sunday. I shook my head and told her I really did not have time to read during the week, what with school and all.

    The following Sunday the same scenario took place.

    Did you read the book? How did you like the book?

    My response was the same as the week before. This went on for several weeks until it occurred to me: If I wanted to have to face this retired missionary every Sunday as I walked into the church, I would let things stand as they were and avoid the book. However, if I wanted to get this over with, I needed to at least read the first chapter. I thought that would satisfy her and then I could go on with life.

    So I found The Pursuit of God and began reading it. That was the end of my life as I knew it. I was amazed by what I read. Up until this point, I had believed that any book written by a preacher would be too theologically sophisticated and full of religious jargon for me to understand. However, much to my delight, Tozer’s teaching was simple and clear. Here was a man writing on my level and teaching things about God in such a manner that I understood what he was saying.

    The following Sunday, the retired missionary stood waiting at the church door for me. When she saw me, and my smile, she knew. She knew that not only had I read the book, but the book had read me.

    I did something then that I do not do as a rule even now: I hugged her and said, Thanks for the book. I did read it and I do love it. She smiled and told me her prayers had been answered. After that, every time I saw her in church, she nodded and smiled my way.

    Since then I have read The Pursuit of God more times than I can remember. The discovery of this book started me on a journey with God I am still pursuing today, and reading works from Tozer became a lifelong habit.

    After high school I attended a small Bible institute to train for the ministry; one professor required us to write a biographical essay on an author who had powerfully influenced our lives up to that point. For me there was no question about it: A.W. Tozer.

    When I wrote that essay, I discovered that there was very little biographical material written on Tozer. One book by David Fant, A. W. Tozer: A Twentieth-Century Prophet, had a biographical profile in the first chapter, and the remainder of the book contained quotes from the ministry and writings of Dr. Tozer. However, no official biography of Tozer existed.

    During the course of my pastoral ministry, whenever I met someone who knew anything of Dr. Tozer, I peppered that person with questions. I began taking notes, but not with any idea of writing a biography. After all, I was not a writer at the time, and writing a book is a major undertaking. I just wanted all the material I could find about Dr. Tozer for my own information; and as I began collecting, my file grew delightfully larger.

    I also began collecting Tozer’s audio sermons. I built an impressive library and listened to these sermons regularly, enjoying them every time.

    Around this time I met a woman who had devoted her life to collecting the sermons of Tozer. Some of the sermons were on the old reel-to-reel tapes, so together we put them on cassette tapes. Later, of course, they needed to be transferred to a digital format.

    Eventually, I had amassed about six hundred audio sermons of Dr. Tozer’s. Rarely a week went by without my listening to at least one of these sermons.

    It wasn’t long before I started thinking about a biography, and I began writing biographical essays. The first magazine to buy an article on A.W. Tozer was the Fundamentalist Journal, founded by the late Dr. Jerry Falwell. Several other magazines also bought articles on the life of Tozer. Alliance Life magazine published one of my articles, which caught the attention of a publisher.

    Soon the publisher contacted me and said they thought there was a market for an A.W. Tozer biography. This, of course, thrilled me, and I began seriously working the material I had collected into a book proposal.

    In my research of Dr. Tozer’s life, I became acquainted with one of Tozer’s friends, Paris Reidhead (1919–1992). I lived about an hour from him and spent quite a bit of time in his study. He became a marvelous and wonderful friend. He even filled my pulpit when I was away. I later learned that he never did this for anybody else.

    One day as I was sitting in his study—I am not sure what we were discussing at the time—he paused, and I noticed a faraway look in his eye. He stared at me for a long moment. Finally, he said, "Brother, if you really want to understand Tozer and appreciate his passion for God, let me

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