Short answer: The Pursuit of God uses Scripture in several ways: as chapter-opening anchor texts, direct quotations, paraphrases and echoes, and biblical stories or images that support Tozer’s devotional argument. Because Tozer often writes allusively rather than like a modern commentary with footnotes, readers should trace the biblical source, read its surrounding context, and record how he is using it. That task is different from deciding whether every theological conclusion is correct; it is first a matter of identifying the source accurately.
Begin by recognizing what kind of book you are reading
Tozer did not write a verse-by-verse commentary. He wrote a devotional work meant to awaken hunger for God. The original 1948 text is saturated with biblical language, but it does not provide modern academic citations after every sentence. That means a careful reader has two responsibilities at once: receive the flow of the chapter, and slow down when Scripture is carrying an important part of the argument.
The public-domain 1948 text at Project Gutenberg is especially useful for this because it lets you search Tozer’s wording and compare chapters without relying on a later editor’s notes.
Four ways Scripture appears in The Pursuit of God
1. A biblical text can serve as the chapter’s doorway
Several chapters begin with a verse that frames what follows. Chapter 1, “Following Hard after God,” opens with Psalm 63:8. The verse gives Tozer the paired ideas of the believer following hard after God while God’s right hand upholds him. When a verse stands at the entrance to a chapter, mark it as an anchor text and return to it after reading the chapter. Ask how much of Tozer’s argument is actually drawn from that verse and how much is his devotional development.
2. Tozer sometimes quotes a passage directly
In Chapter 1 he cites Jesus’ words from John 6:44 about the Father drawing people to Christ. Direct quotations are usually the easiest references to locate, but wording may differ from the Bible translation you normally use. The goal is not to force your translation to match Tozer word for word. Identify the passage, then read it in its own context.
3. Biblical language may appear as a paraphrase or echo
A sentence can sound biblical without including a chapter-and-verse citation. Tozer frequently writes in a vocabulary shaped by the Psalms, the Gospels, Paul, and other biblical texts. When a phrase seems familiar, treat it as a possible allusion rather than immediately labeling it a quotation. A searchable Bible or concordance can help locate the likely source.
4. A biblical event can function as an illustration
Tozer also develops spiritual lessons from biblical people, places, and events. In those cases the important question is not merely, “Where is this story?” but, “Which part of the story is Tozer using?” An illustration may be faithful and helpful without every detail of the narrative functioning as a direct proof of the application.
Use a reference-tracing method, not a generic devotional checklist
For an important biblical reference, record five pieces of information:
- Tozer’s wording. Copy only the short phrase or sentence you need for identification.
- Likely biblical source. Record the book, chapter, and verse or passage range.
- Type of use. Mark it as anchor text, direct quotation, paraphrase/allusion, or narrative/image.
- Context note. In one or two sentences, state who is speaking, to whom, and what the biblical paragraph is doing.
- Tozer’s use. State how the reference advances his chapter—does it introduce a theme, illustrate surrender, describe faith, support worship, or provide language for prayer?
This method keeps the task concrete. You are building a source map of the book rather than writing a second commentary on every verse.
A worked example from Chapter 1
The opening of Chapter 1 gives a useful demonstration. Psalm 63:8 supplies the language of following and being upheld. Tozer then discusses God’s prior action in grace and cites John 6:44. He uses those biblical references to hold together two movements: God is previous, and the believer truly responds.
A reference log for that section could look like this:
- Psalm 63:8 — anchor text: the chapter’s governing image of pursuit joined with divine support.
- John 6:44 — direct quotation: used while discussing the Father’s prior drawing.
- Psalm 42 — biblical echo/quotation: brought in to express thirst and desire for the living God.
After locating those passages, read Psalm 63 as a psalm and John 6 as part of Jesus’ discourse. The reference-tracing task asks, “What text is Tozer drawing from, and what role does it play in his chapter?”
Do not confuse reference tracing with theological evaluation
Once you have found the passage and understood its immediate context, a second question may arise: Does Tozer’s interpretation or application faithfully reflect Scripture as a whole? That is an important question, but it is a different task. Use the separate guide How Should Readers Test Tozer’s Teachings Against Scripture? for doctrinal evaluation. Keeping the two tasks distinct prevents these pages from repeating one another.
What to do when you cannot find the reference
Do not assume that every biblical-sounding sentence is a quotation. Try these steps: search a distinctive phrase; search key nouns and verbs; check likely passages named elsewhere in the chapter; compare an older English Bible translation if the wording sounds archaic; and, if no exact source appears, label the phrase an apparent biblical echo rather than inventing a citation.
That last step matters. A source note is trustworthy only when the source has actually been identified.
How a small group can divide the work
In a group study, assign different people different kinds of references. One reader can track explicit quotations, another chapter-opening texts, and another biblical stories and images. At the next meeting, compare the findings. This turns source checking into a shared study skill without letting the session become a hunt for errors.
Build a simple Scripture reference index as you read
A notebook or spreadsheet with columns for chapter, Tozer phrase, Bible reference, type of use, and context note will become increasingly valuable. By the end of the book, you will be able to see which biblical books Tozer returns to and which themes he develops through recurring scriptural images.
If you prefer a two-column approach for comparing a devotional claim with Scripture itself, use the two-column Tozer-and-Scripture journal method. For a broader orientation to the book, see the complete guide to The Pursuit of God.
The payoff: more accurate reading, not less devotional reading
Tracing references does not drain devotion from the book. It can deepen it. You understand Tozer more accurately, you encounter the biblical passages in their own setting, and you are less likely to repeat an attractive sentence without knowing what Scripture actually says.
Readers who want Tozer’s text paired with structured Scripture connections, reflection, and application can also use the Our Kingdom Assignment modern study edition as a companion. Keep the Bible open beside every devotional resource.
Return to Kingdom Pathway 1 — The Pursuit of God. When the study moves from understanding Tozer’s book into the larger biblical life of remaining in Christ, continue to Kingdom Pathway 2 — Abide in Me.