Customer Reviews

The Pursuit of God

5 star:		(123)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

This book is probably the most spirit filled and guided work I've read in a long time. You can not help but hear the voice of God calling you to a deeper relationship with Him as you read this amazing classic. From begining to end each page is an impassioned plea for the reader to abandon "comfortable Christianity" in order to truly know God as He desires to be known. You can see right away that truly Mr. Tozer wrote this book on his knees. I found myself challenged to look at my own faith in Christ and what I should be doing with that faith in every chapter. Sometimes with weeping and confessing and always compelled to deep times of prayer and renewel in God's presence. The chapter entitled "The Blessedness of Possesing Nothing" should be required reading for anyone confessing Christ as their Lord. I was totally blown away and my life with Christ and my own pursuit of God has been forever enriched. I have read this book over and over and shared much of it with friends and family. If you are "stuck" in you walk with the Lord, let the Spirit of God use this book to shake you loose and move you onward and upward.

This is one of a few books I've read that, upon reading it, actually manifested God's presence. In line with the teaching of the book, God impressed upon me his love and his desire for a more intimate relationship. I broke into tears. Few books have had that impact. The chapter entitled "The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing" is a profound call to absolute simplicity and abandonment to God who owns everything you may think you "possess", including yourself! Surrender it all to God and see what miracles will be wrought for His glory. Let God possess you! For those who want other recommendations, try "The Christian's Secret to a Happy Life" by Hannah Whitall Smith, "A Testament of Devotion" by Thomas Kelly, "Abandonment to Divine Providence" by Jean-Pierre de Caussade, "The Practice of the Presence of God" by Brother Lawrence and, for those who want to experience God's holiness in a powerful way, "The Holiness of God" by R.C. Sproul. - Brad Clark

The Pursuit of God is a favorite book of mine, and I recently ordered two copies of this edition. It never occurred to me that anybody would publish such a poor quality edition of such a wonderful book. It is as though someone read the book out loud into a computer program and then never proofread the result. In the FIRST CHAPTER ALONE I counted at least NINETEEN errors...spelling, grammar, and margin alignment errors that were so glaring as to totally distract from the message of the book. This book was intended to give glory to God by bringing people to a deeper knowledge of Him, but this particular edition dishonors Him by its poor quality. I had ordered these books to be gifts, but I had to go back and order different editions from different vendors. I highly recommend that Amazon remove this edition from sale on their website.

Tozer speaks as one who has been in the presence of the King and the aroma of heaven clings to the pages of his book. The Pursuit of God was one of the first really great books I read. One of my mentors loaned it to me when I was nineteen years old and facing a period of decisive surrender in important areas of my life. The second chapter, called "The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing," was especially meaningful to me. Everything Tozer wrote was good and I could give a blanket recommendation to his other works. His books are brief, but not shallow. I highly recommend The Pursuit of God. Follow it up with Man: The Dwelling Place of God, another of Tozer's great books.

I've been intimidated to review this book for a long time. Why? This book changed my life.

I grew up in a conservative Christian church, my father was a pastor, and I was studying for the ministry when I purchased this book as a gift for a good friend. I didn't want to give him a gift that would lead him astray, so I decided to read the first chapter.

What I found was nothing like what I had known. This was no dry, moldy, "scholarly" book--this was alive. The blessed truths that had been buried in my heart and mind beneath the drudgery of modern scholarship's debates over dating, authorship and sources came pouring forth in what I can only describe as "rivers of living water" (John 7:38). Through the Spirit-led power and insight of Tozer's writing I was awakened to the reality of the Almighty God and the nearness of His blessed Holy Spirit in an amazing way. The prayer he offers at the end of the first chapter (in which he borrows Moses' prayer from Exodus 33) left me in stunned awe before my Maker.

This book (as its author was) is annointed with the presence and power God. I would most highly recommend this book to any person--both those who thirst for more of God and those who know nothing of this deep soul-hunger. Tozer speaks with an authority and passion characteristic of one who has been in the very presence of God. Let the Spirit speak to you through this great saint as you embark upon Man's most noble effort--the Pursuit of God.

I can only concur with several of the other readers comments in that I'm drawn into the presence of God while reading this book. Tozer not only writes about the experiential nature of a relationship with the Lord, he (or rather the Spirit through him) actually leads the reader into God's presence. In this sense the book is utterly unique for me for any extra biblical writings that I've ever read, and I've read a LOT of them (e.g., Practicing the Presence, The Imitation of Christ, The Cloud of Unknowing, Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ, etc.). And after all, it's about fellowship with the Lord, not reading about Him.

Good to take down from the shelf and read again if you're ever feeling "dry".

Completely God-centered.

I love this classic by Tozer. In fact, I ordered this book to replace my well worn copy. Unfortunately, while reading the first chapter I encountered six typographical errors. These errors are the result of very shoddy editing.
For instance, on page 13, Thee is spelled TThee. On page 17 it's T Thee.
Also, one sentence on page 13 reads "That is the heavenly birth without which we cannon: see the Kingdom of God."
Page 16 reads "Lift up thine heart unto Gel..."
Very shoddy work by this publisher, trashing a great classic.
I highly recommend you purchase this wonderful work by A. W. Tozer, but buy it from a different publisher. I've already printed my return labels and will be sending this one back to Amazon. I'll reorder from a different publisher.

This is a book that is not for those who are of the faint of heart. The burial party in Elisha's day, when fleeing from the invading Midianites, threw the corpse into Elisha's tomb. When the dead man's bones hit Elisha's dead bones the corpse sprang to life. Likewise this book's content will ignite the flame of one's cold heart.

Tozer strips away the religious forms that keep us from truly following God. In reading this book one will be instructed to do real soul searching and get to the business of seeking the face of God. When the spade work is done, as in gardening, Tozer lets us know that God is here with us. We are never nearer to God than we are right now. Our duty is to seek Him.

I recently ordered this book after reading Tozer's The Knowledge of the Holy this summer. I was very excited to read this book, as it is another of Tozer's classics. HOWEVER, DO NOT BUY THIS EDITION OF THE BOOK. IT IS ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE! THERE ARE SO MANY TYPOS THAT DISTRACT FROM TOZER'S WRITING. I regret buying this version, and I will probably buy a different version of the book. I am very surprised that this edition even went to print. AMAZON, PLEASE DO NOT SELL THIS FLAWED PRODUCT!

The power of this book is its promise that all one could hope for in Christ is true and within reach. Those whose hearts have heard the call to "seek My face" are encouraged with the hope that they will find what they seek, and will know by personal experience the depth of the riches of the glory of God of which the apostles spoke. Prayer is the door to these spiritual riches. Nothing but prayer can bring God and man into this happy communion, E. M. Bounds said, and to this end Mr. Tozer closes each of the ten chapters with a prayer. It is one thing to read the book, something else to pray the prayers, and another still to keep on praying them until they are answered. For those who would press on to know the Lord the book is written. The preface ends with an invitation to kindred souls: "if my fire is not large it is yet real, and there may be those who can light their candle at its flame." By book's end Mr. Tozer has shown his fire is real, and the persevering reader may join with him in this closing plea: "And all this I confidently believe Thou wilt grant me through the merits of Jesus Christ Thy Son." Amen.