Direct answer: A Pursuit of God guided workbook combines explanation with written participation. It gives the reader a clear sequence—read, summarize, study Scripture, reflect, pray, act, and review—so the book becomes more than a passive reading experience.
Study Guide, Workbook, or Guided Workbook?
These terms are related, but they do not have exactly the same purpose.
| Resource | Main purpose | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Study guide | Explains themes, organizes reading, and provides questions. | Readers who want direction and understanding. |
| Study workbook | Adds spaces and exercises for written answers, prayer, and application. | Readers who learn through active reflection. |
| Guided workbook | Provides a repeatable step-by-step process for every lesson. | Beginners, groups, and readers who want a complete routine. |
A well-designed workbook may include all three functions. The important point is not the label but whether the resource helps the reader understand the chapter, examine it through Scripture, and respond faithfully.
The Seven-Part Guided Process
- Read. Read one Tozer chapter slowly and mark its main claims.
- Summarize. Write the chapter’s central message in your own words.
- Search Scripture. Study two or three related passages in context.
- Reflect. Answer questions about desire, fear, surrender, faith, worship, and obedience.
- Pray. Turn the truth into praise, confession, gratitude, and request.
- Apply. Choose one concrete action before the next lesson.
- Review. Record what happened and what God taught you.
What Makes It a Bible Workbook?
A Pursuit of God Bible workbook keeps Scripture—not Tozer’s language, the workbook author, or the reader’s feelings—as the final authority. Each lesson should include passages that genuinely relate to the chapter, read in their biblical context.
Observation
What does the passage actually say? Notice repeated words, commands, promises, contrasts, and context.
Meaning
What does the passage reveal about God, humanity, sin, grace, Christ, faith, or obedience?
Response
What belief, attitude, relationship, habit, or action should change?
What Makes It a Christian Workbook?
A Pursuit of God Christian workbook should point consistently to Christ rather than to self-improvement. It should acknowledge grace, dependence on the Holy Spirit, participation in the local church, and the importance of learning with other believers.
A Sample Guided Lesson
Theme: Spiritual hunger
Read: the assigned chapter and Psalm 63:1–8.
Summarize: What does the chapter say about wanting God Himself?
Observe: Which words in Psalm 63 describe David’s desire for God?
Reflect: What competes most strongly for your attention and affection?
Pray: Ask God to renew your desire for Him and expose false satisfactions.
Act: Replace one recurring distraction with fifteen minutes of prayer and Scripture for seven days.
Review: At the end of the week, record what changed and what remained difficult.
Choose a Realistic Schedule
Ten-week plan
One chapter each week. Best for groups, careful reflection, and accountability.
Five-week plan
Two chapters each week. Best for experienced readers with adequate preparation time.
Daily devotional plan
Divide each chapter into smaller readings and complete one short workbook step per day.
Do Not Let the Workbook Replace the Book
A guided workbook should lead readers into Tozer’s original chapters and into Scripture. It should not reduce the book to isolated quotations or provide “cliff notes” that make careful reading unnecessary.
Explore the Expanded Study Edition
The Pursuit of God (Annotated): A Modern Study Guide to A. W. Tozer’s Classic on Abiding in Christ and Making Disciples preserves Tozer’s original text while adding chapter summaries, study resources, chapter word searches, and practical disciple-making connections.
View the Book on Amazon← Return to The Pursuit of God Knowledge Catalogue
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a study guide and a workbook?
A study guide primarily explains and organizes the material. A workbook requires the reader to write, reflect, answer questions, pray, and record specific applications.
What makes a workbook guided?
A guided workbook gives a clear sequence for each lesson, such as read, summarize, study Scripture, reflect, pray, act, and review.
Can a guided workbook be used in a group?
Yes. Participants can complete the written work before meeting and then discuss the most important Scripture, reflection, and application questions together.
Should a guided workbook replace reading Tozer’s original chapters?
No. The workbook should support careful reading of the original text rather than replacing it.