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I recently read a newish (2008) biography on AW Tozer, A Passion for God. It was a valuable reminder of the influence this man of God has had on my own life.

I was first exposed to Tozer almost two decades ago through reading The Pursuit of God. I’m positive I don’t appreciate the extent of the impact this book had upon my early spiritual development. I do, however, remember that it revealed the heart of a man who had an unquenchable thirst for knowing God.

I eagerly drank at this devotional fountain. I have returned there over the years, rediscovering Tozer’s words as consistently relevant and challenging.

AW Tozer’s life and example remind me that:

Tozer relentlessly pursued the worship of Almighty God. Worship to him was not something limited to certain times and places. Nor was it optional. To Tozer, worship was duty and delight.

Tozer wrote in The Knowledge of the Holy, “With our loss of the sense of majesty has come the further loss of religious awe and consciousness of the divine Presence. We have lost our spirit of worship and ability to withdraw inwardly to meet God in adoring silence.”

Tozer’s time investment before the Lord did draw some criticism. He made clear he was not a “visiting” pastor who would be making social calls or dropping by the hospital. He prioritized spending time in worship, prayer and study. Though this razor-sharp focus made Tozer a powerful preacher of the Word, it also necessitated he have an associate pastor who was willing to perform the pastoral duties he declined.

Tozer emphasized a right (biblical) view of God. For it is worshipers “in spirit and truth” that the Father is seeking.

Those who’ve read Tozer know there is a certain spiritual aroma that permeates his writing. Those who heard him preach consistently testified to a “sacred anointing” or that it was apparent “he had been with Jesus.” I’m convinced this is because of the priority Tozer placed on prayer.

His practice was to spend his mornings praying. When he arrived at his church office, Tozer would change from his suit into a sweater and his “raggedy old prayer pants.” With a Bible and hymnal nearby, he would begin to worship, sitting on the couch. From there Tozer went to his knees, and according to those who caught the occasional glimpse through the door, he would usually end up prostrate on the floor.

His office was holy ground because it was there he regularly met with God.

From these experiences of communion with his Lord, Tozer would rise to prepare his sermons or write the next editorial for The Alliance Witness.

Tozer was a lifelong student–not only of the Bible, but also of literature, history, philosophy and the sciences. Ever frugal (he would often give half of his monthly salary back to the church), he was still a sucker for used book shops.

Tozer didn’t have the advantage of either a college or seminary education. Partly due to his lack of higher education and largely because of his passion for learning, he made study a priority. Tozer encouraged young men entering the ministry to pursue higher education whenever possible. But he understood that no amount of letters after one’s name can make up for a failure to develop disciplined personal study habits.

Agreeing with John Wesley’s declaration that he was “a man of One Book, but the student of many,” Tozer also “exhorted ministers to read widely but sift it all through the lens of the Bible.”

Many consider Tozer a modern-day prophet. He had the God-given ability to see spiritual matters clearly, particularly when it came to the declining state of the evangelical church in America. In particular Tozer bemoaned the rise of entertainment-driven agendas, celebrity pastors and increasing doctrinal compromises.

Though his criticism could be abrasive and even acerbic, there was no doubting that it came from a heart of concern. Tozer genuinely lamented the lack of fear of God among professing Christians. He felt compelled to proclaim the whole counsel of God–not to intentionally wound, but to admonish Christians to experience the beauty of holiness.

A man who spent so much time in prayer and study in order to more effectively minister to his generation was not available to his wife and seven children as he should have been. This neglect is certainly to be lamented. Though his wife, Ada, never complained, it was evident to those who knew her that she keenly felt her husband’s frequent absences.

In his fifties, Tozer confided to a friend, “I’ve had a lonely life.” He had few close human friendships, putting most his time into cultivating his friendship with God. This blind-spot also unfortunately prevented him from experiencing a vibrant marriage and active home life.

Tozer has been criticized for his unapologetic claims to being a “mystic.” Though one may take issue with the connotations and ambiguity of the term, I think Warren Wiersbe’s definition is worthwhile to consider.

“A mystic is simply a person who: 1) sees a real spiritual world beyond the world of sense; 2) seeks to please God rather than the crowd; 3) cultivates a close fellowship with God, sensing His presence everywhere; and 4) relates his experience to the practical things of life.”

As noted, Tozer was a voracious reader and this included studying the early “church fathers” as well as writings from the medieval Roman Catholic tradition. Thoroughly grounded in the Scriptures, Tozer was able to separate the spiritual wheat from the chaff in his wide reading. He applied to his own devotional life that which he felt deepened his fellowship with the Lord.

Perhaps Tozer’s view of evangelical mysticism is best described in his own words: “It is altogether possible to be instructed in the rudiments of the faith and still have no real understanding of the whole thing. And it is possible to go on to become an expert in Bible doctrine and not have spiritual illumination, with the result that a veil remains over the mind, preventing it from apprehending the truth in its spiritual essence.”

The Knowledge of the Holy is Tozer’s exposition of the attributes of God. It’s readable and non-technical language is accessible to to the layman. It’s insight and spiritual applicability reveal the heart and mind of a man who knew God intimately because he worshiped God habitually.

Dorsett’s biography and James Snyder’s In Pursuit of God both offer useful insight into Tozer’s ministry and personal life. Dorsett’s account is especially helpful as it reveals a man who was spiritual but flawed, particularly when it came to relating to his family. In other words, Tozer, like the rest of us, was not perfect, but nevertheless pressed “on toward the goal of the upward call in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

And of course, The Pursuit of God arguably ranks among the best of modern devotional classics. It should be on the shelf of every Christian so that it can be regularly and carefully read.