The Pursuit Of God By A.W. Tozer Book Review

Have you ever felt like you’re doing all the “right” Christian things reading your Bible, praying, going to church and yet deep down, you feel a little distant from God?

Like your faith has become more about routine than relationship? If so, The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer might be exactly the book your soul has been craving.

Originally published in 1948, this classic work still speaks powerfully to modern believers who long for a deeper, more intimate relationship with God not just knowledge about Him, but a personal encounter with His presence. And that’s really what this book is all about: the pursuit.

Tozer doesn’t just tell you what to believe he invites you to chase after the heart of God with passion, surrender, and awe. In a world that’s constantly pulling us toward distraction and self-focus, his message feels like a refreshing call to come back to what truly matters.

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A.W. Tozer – The Voice of a Hungry Heart

Before diving into the book itself, it helps to know a little about the man behind it.

A.W. Tozer wasn’t a seminary-trained theologian or a celebrity preacher. He was a self-taught pastor and writer whose deep hunger for God shaped everything he said and did. People who knew him often described him as someone who seemed to walk with God in an almost tangible way.

Tozer once said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

That line alone gives you a glimpse into his heart. For Tozer, Christianity was never about mere religion it was about a living relationship with a real, holy, loving God.

And that’s the fire that burns through every chapter of The Pursuit of God.

The Heartbeat of the Book

At its core, The Pursuit of God is about one thing: desire.

It’s about cultivating a holy longing for God that surpasses everything else a desire so real that it shapes how you live, think, and love.

Tozer believes that we were created to know God, not just know about Him. He writes with both tenderness and conviction, reminding readers that while God is always pursuing us, we must also make the choice to pursue Him in return.

This book isn’t a theological textbook. It’s a personal conversation one that feels more like reading a journal written by someone who’s had a profound encounter with God.

Tozer doesn’t lecture; he pleads. He doesn’t instruct from a distance; he invites you to walk beside him as a fellow seeker.

The Call to Pursue God

The opening chapter, “Following Hard After God,” sets the tone for everything that follows. Tozer writes,

“To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul’s paradox of love.”

That one sentence captures the Christian journey perfectly. Finding God isn’t the end of faith it’s the beginning of a lifelong pursuit.

Tozer reminds us that many believers settle for surface-level faith a belief that checks all the right boxes but lacks intimacy and fire. He calls us to go deeper, to cultivate a heart that yearns for God even after salvation.

It’s not about working harder to earn His love; it’s about desiring Him more fully because we’ve already experienced His love.

Breaking Down the Themes – Chapter by Chapter

Tozer’s book is only 10 chapters long, but each one is rich with meaning. Every chapter builds on the last, taking the reader on a journey from longing to encounter, from self-reliance to surrender.

Let’s walk through some of the key ideas.

1. Following Hard After God

This chapter lays the foundation: the Christian life is not static. It’s a pursuit. Tozer argues that too many Christians stop seeking after they’re saved they become spiritually satisfied.

But God invites us to more to seek first His kingdom (Matthew 6:33), to press on toward the goal (Philippians 3:14).

Tozer writes, “We have been snared in the coils of a spurious logic which insists that if we have found Him, we need no more seek Him.”

His challenge is simple yet piercing: never stop hungering for more of God.

2. The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing

This chapter draws from the story of Abraham and Isaac. Tozer describes how Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac the very gift God gave him was the ultimate test of faith.

Tozer uses this story to highlight the danger of idols of the heart  things we love more than God, even good things.

He calls believers to “possess nothing,” meaning that we must hold everything our relationships, our dreams, our blessings with open hands.

It’s not that we shouldn’t love or enjoy what God gives us, but we must never let anything take God’s place on the throne of our hearts.

When we let go, we make room for God to fill us with something greater Himself.

3. Removing the Veil

Here, Tozer references the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies in the Old Testament temple. When Jesus died, that veil was torn symbolizing our restored access to God’s presence.

But Tozer reminds us that while the physical veil was removed, a spiritual veil still exists in our hearts the barrier of self.

He says, “The veil is our fleshly nature, living yet untouched, uncrucified.”

This chapter is deeply convicting. To truly know God, we must let Him deal with the pride, ego, and self-centeredness that keep us from intimacy with Him.

It’s about surrender allowing the Holy Spirit to strip away everything that blocks us from experiencing God’s presence fully.

4. Apprehending God

In one of his most beautiful insights, Tozer explains that God is not distant or abstract He is real and near.

He writes, “God is a Person, and in the deep of His mighty nature, He thinks, wills, enjoys, feels, loves, desires, and suffers as any other person may.”

This changes everything. When we stop seeing God as a concept and start seeing Him as a living, relational being, our faith comes alive.

Tozer’s point is simple: God can be experienced. We don’t just learn about Him we walk with Him.

5. The Universal Presence

This chapter expands on Psalm 139, where David declares that there’s nowhere we can go to escape God’s presence. Tozer reminds us that awareness of God’s nearness is what transforms ordinary life into worship.

Whether you’re washing dishes, working a long shift, or sitting quietly in prayer God is there.

Tozer calls believers to practice the presence of God  to live every moment aware that the divine presence is surrounding and sustaining us.

6. The Speaking Voice

Tozer beautifully argues that God is not silent He is still speaking. Through Scripture, through creation, and through the Spirit’s whisper in our hearts, God continues to communicate.

He says, “The voice of God is sounding throughout the universe… but very few hear it.”

This chapter encourages believers to quiet their hearts and listen. Because hearing God isn’t about mystical experiences it’s about being still enough to recognize His voice in our everyday lives.

7. The Gaze of the Soul

In this poetic section, Tozer describes faith as “the gaze of a soul upon a saving God.”

He compares faith to fixing your eyes on Jesus not striving, not performing, just focusing your attention on Him.

It’s a beautiful picture of resting in God’s love while remaining deeply aware of His presence.

8. Restoring the Creator Creature Relation

Tozer warns that much of modern religion has lost its reverence for God. We treat Him casually instead of approaching Him with awe.

He calls us to restore that sense of holy dependence to remember that we are the creation, not the Creator.

Humility and worship go hand in hand, and when we remember who God is and who we are, everything else falls into place.

9. Meekness and Rest

This chapter highlights the peace that comes from humility. Tozer reflects on Jesus’ words: “Blessed are the meek.”

He explains that meekness isn’t weakness it’s strength under control. It’s the quiet confidence that comes from knowing God is in charge.

When we stop defending ourselves and start trusting God with our reputation, rest follows.

10. The Sacrament of Living

The final chapter is Tozer’s most practical and perhaps the most inspiring.

He teaches that worship isn’t confined to church services. Every act no matter how small can become worship when done with a heart for God.

Cooking dinner, caring for your children, writing an email it all becomes sacred when offered to God in love.

Tozer writes, “It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, it is why he does it.”

That’s a truth that still transforms how we live today.

Why This Book Still Matters Today

Even though The Pursuit of God was written over 75 years ago, its message feels timeless maybe even more relevant now than ever.

In a world full of noise, hurry, and distraction, Tozer’s call to slow down and seek God feels almost radical. He challenges the idea that busyness equals faithfulness.

He invites us to exchange shallow religion for deep relationship to stop doing for God and start being with Him.

This book is especially powerful for modern Christians who feel burned out or spiritually dry. Tozer reminds us that true fulfillment isn’t found in achieving for God but in abiding with Him.

The Tone Is Warm, Passionate, and Prophetic

What makes Tozer’s writing so special is his mix of tenderness and fire. You can feel his passion on every page.

He doesn’t write like an academic he writes like a man who has been with God and wants you to know that joy too.

His words are poetic, sometimes piercing, and always full of love for the Lord. You don’t just read The Pursuit of God  you experience it.

It’s not a book to rush through. It’s one to sit with, pray through, and return to often.

Favorite Quotes That Stay With You

• “God waits to be wanted.”

• “Faith is the gaze of a soul upon a saving God.”

• “The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One.”

• “We are called to an everlasting preoccupation with God.”

• “When religion has said its last word, there is little that we need other than God Himself.”

Every line feels like something you’d want to underline and meditate on.

Why You Should Read It

If you’re hungry for more of God if you sense there’s something deeper than surface-level Christianity this book will speak directly to your heart.

It’s not a quick or “feel-good” read; it’s a soul-stirring one. It invites you to slow down, to listen, to long again.

You’ll walk away with:

• A renewed desire to know God personally.

• A deeper understanding of what surrender looks like.

• A heart awakened to the beauty of God’s presence in ordinary life.

• A reminder that faith isn’t about performance it’s about pursuit.

Conclusion: The Joy Of The Pursuit

Reading The Pursuit of God feels like sitting by a campfire with someone who has walked with God for a lifetime someone who looks you in the eye and says, “Don’t settle. Keep seeking.”

Tozer doesn’t offer quick answers or self-help strategies. He offers something much better an invitation.

An invitation to step out of shallow faith and into a living, breathing relationship with the God who loves you beyond measure.

Because at the end of the day, that’s what the Christian life is all about not religion, not performance, but pursuit.

And when you chase after God, you find that He’s been chasing after you all along.

“When you find God, you have everything. When you lose everything but still have God, you still have everything.”

That’s the beauty of The Pursuit of God a timeless reminder that the deepest joy in life isn’t found in getting more from God, but in getting more of God.