What WAS Tozer doing in there??

Hi folks,

After hearing a lot of AW Tozers messages, and stories about him from folks that spent time with him - people like Leonard Ravenhill - I have become familiar with the stories that he used to spend HOURS each day with God in prayer.

Now, I must ask - what was he doing in there?

I have a deep hunger for God and I have 1/2 hour each morning I can spare daily and irregular other times. Usually I pray for about 20 mins. That seems to cover giving glory to him and praying for others. I also sing songs to him and play my instrument for him and to him. At times I also journal. And of course I do my daily reading of the Word.

Even on those occasions when I have extra time I can spend, these things I can easily fit into an hour and a bit. I've found if I do it every day it gets a bit repetitive.

By way of reply, I am of a biblical Pentecostal nature (not word of faith, prosperity or other such nonsense), and even if I exercise my gift of tongues I can't fill the time he did.

But Tozer spent this time EVERY day and he was obviously effective.

Again, what WAS he doing in there??

What did he pray about? Exactly HOW did he get his closeness with the Father?

Perhaps it is the heart that matters most, not the time.

Paul prayed without ceasing... 1 Thes 5:17

:)

Oh, He would have it that our heart be set upon Him ALL of the time. :)

Haha Amen Laura. :)

Hi Panda,

I have wondered about this too. It seems one of the things that keeps us from abiding in His presence is obedience. I have found that when I desire to spend time with the Lord or when I feel the Spirit drawing me in, that after a time, I become distracted by things I know I should do or have failed to do at the Lord's leading. At this point, I am no longer at perfect rest because it has been made clear to me areas of my own disobedience. However, there are also other times that I will be drawn in by the Spirit and instructed simply to rest. I am to cast off all that occupies my heart and focus on Him at which times I am even unable to pray. The Spirit restrains me from uttering anything at all but bids me be still. I know that it was several months from the time I first heard these testimonies about Tozer and other men of God, who spent long hours in prayer, and I asked the Lord to do this in me until He started to draw me. Perhaps it is the slowness of my heart or simply the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit that takes time to bring me to the place where I can actually begin. I think it would be wise to take the attitude of those from Hebrews 11 who had no written Bible but came to knowledge of God by diligently seeking His face expecting that He would show Himself to them. Keep pressing on in faith and you will be drawn to the object of your desire. 

Jeremy221

Hey folks,

Thanks for your posts. Yup, Jeremy I think I can relate to what you're saying. I have noticed he does tend to be quite slow in his movings and responses. Gor his good pleasure I suppose. Alright, I'll start praying for it.

Cheers,

P

hi, oj you hit the nail on the head.len told me that tozer would lay on a mat and worship Him for who He is and spend the rest of the time quiet before Him. len said tozer got 90% of his books there.jimp

I heard an interesting story about Tozer. Tozer didn't begin prayer by "talking", but by "listening". Once, when he was visiting a church, he attended a prayer meeting. After a brief discussion with the other people who were at the prayer meeting, Tozer laid himself flat on the floor... and didn't say a word. After a significant period of time had passed, and the people grew increasingly uncomfortable, someone began to speak idle words. And then Tozer turned around and said "Shut up and listen!" I suspect the man needed to learn a lesson from God.

Anyways, Tozer spent time with God in the same way that Mary of Bethany would gaze at Jesus, listening to Him, waiting on Him, hanging on to His every word. May God be pleased to increase our intimacy with Him, such that we wouldn't simply bring a grocery list, but instead have an intimate relationship with Him.

In Christ Jesus,
Renoncer

Very good thread. I've heard that Tozer was also deeply influenced by Madame Guyonne, and no wonder they are like that in their pursuit of God's presence and leading. I've been always trying to learn from these people on how they press on towards more of God in their lives. I also love how Brother Lawrence practiced God's presence during his whole day activities. Oh the beauty and the wonder of Jesus!

"Be still, and know that I am God".

Tozer once wrote, "Writing is false when virtues are overdrawn and blemishes are concealed." So I am certain he would not want to be remembered without the 'warts' as it were.

May I suggest that only God knows what went on in his prayer room. Yet Tozer's biographers have given us insight as to what was going on outside his prayer room when he was in the prayer room. This is what Paul Harvey used to call, "the rest of the story."

They tell us that he tried to avoid people, even his family. He viewed folk to have 'diseased personalities' it is said, so he would hurry away from the pulpit so as to avoid folk. His wife Ada is said to have raised 7 kids (edit 6 boys and 1 girl) almost by herself. He would take train rides for hours just to be alone with God or to study. It all sounds virtuous, but I'm not fully convinced. I certainly have no plans to imitate the behavior.

Jesus never avoided people. Jesus loved children. The disciples sent them away, but Jesus wanted them near Him. He loved people and enjoyed their company. He was not a recluse. He did not spend the majority of his days and of His life in solitude. He interacted with individuals with a view to speaking into their life face to face. This is true of what we know of the apostles as well.

Tozer has been one of my heroes, but as I have come to know more of him I have put down the comic book. That is to say, I see him as a man of God, but a man nonetheless. As with all people we have to be careful what we imitate about them and we need a fuller picture of what was driving some of their deeds. Obviously Tozer loved God and loved spending time with Him. Mix that with a general desire to avoid life and people and suddenly one is holed up in a room for hours upon hours while the wife and kids are starving for attention. Tar and feather me now, but there is something wrong with that.

We need to pray and seek God in earnest. We need to spend time with the Lord. We need to follow the example of Jesus and the apostles and not get sidelined with thinking we can imitate or emulate the behavior of a person that had these issues. If Dorsett is to be believed both he and Ada his wife confided in friends that they had lived lonely lives. Snyder is much kinder, but still leaves a strong impression that he did not have a close family life with the wife or kids. They were not close. This is a problem in my view.

If Dorsett is to be believed, Ada once remarked, "Aiden loved Jesus Christ, Leonard loves me." That sounded very selfish in my ears when I first heard it. But after some years of reflection I realize that Tozer had a responsibility to get up and see about his family. To provide them with their needs emotionally. Women sometimes get bent out of shape when the husband is glues in front of the TV watching football for 6 hours Saturday and Sunday; is it scriptural or even sensical to spend so much time in study and prayer that life comes to a halt? Just asking. I know it sound very pious, but where is the precedent for it in scripture? So part of the answer of 'what he was doing' can only be answered from without the closet door; and if the biographers were right he was causing his wife to question whether or not he loved her.

thanks robertw. I have to agree with you there. If what we read about DL Moody is true though, he seemed to have found that proper balance in life between the 'prayer closet' and relational life. He was said to be a great husband and father and yet spent the time in prayer too. I hope to get the balance myself someday sooner than later preferably.

I think though that the key is a circular pattern. The more quality time (without becoming ridiculous) we spend in the presence of God worshipping Him, the more we will be filled to live for Him and the relationships will grow and we will then have more requests to take to God as intercessors on their behalf.

Hope that makes sense.

Lloyd

Just to add agreement to the last few posts, I think that the more we spend time with God the more it should reflect in our behavior towards others. I'm reminded of Acts 4:13;

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

This is a common theme that in my view illustrates true spirituality. When our behavior runs parallel with Christ's then we are 'spiritual'. Steven is also an example of how benevolence flows from those that have been with Christ and are filled with His Spirit. If the prayer closet makes a person short, impatient and unaccommodating we need to check ourselves.