Short answer: The Pursuit of God is a powerful spiritual-formation resource, but it is not a complete spiritual-formation curriculum. Its strength is concentrated depth around hunger for God, surrender, faith, presence, meekness, and worship. What it does not provide by itself is a comprehensive formation pathway covering the full range of Christian doctrine, relationships, church life, mission, habits, accountability, and leadership development.
What The Pursuit of God does especially well
A strong curriculum needs a compelling center. Tozer provides one: God Himself is the Christian’s treasure.
The book is especially strong at confronting:
- secondhand Christianity;
- spiritual complacency;
- attachment to possessions and self;
- inward resistance to God;
- low awareness of God’s presence;
- distraction and misplaced attention;
- pride and self-defense;
- the sacred-secular divide.
That concentration gives the book unusual power. A broad curriculum can cover many subjects without pressing any one of them as deeply.
What a full formation curriculum usually adds
A comprehensive formation plan may also include deliberate teaching and practice in areas such as:
- the gospel and assurance;
- doctrine of God, Christ, Spirit, Scripture, church, and salvation;
- Bible interpretation;
- prayer practices;
- Christian community;
- confession and accountability;
- marriage and family responsibilities;
- vocation and stewardship;
- evangelism;
- disciple-making;
- suffering;
- justice and mercy;
- spiritual gifts;
- leadership and service;
- long-term habits and review.
The Pursuit of God touches some of these, but it was not written to provide a complete curriculum map.
The strongest use is as a catalytic core
Rather than asking Tozer to do everything, use the book as a catalyst inside a larger biblical process.
A ten-session group might pair each chapter with:
- a primary Scripture passage;
- one doctrinal clarification;
- discussion;
- one practice or act of obedience;
- accountability at the next meeting;
- a connection to life in the church and mission.
This allows Tozer’s intensity to remain intact while Scripture and the larger discipleship framework provide breadth.
What is missing if you use the book alone
Three gaps deserve special attention.
Systematic biblical coverage
Tozer assumes substantial Christian background. New believers may need more explicit teaching on the gospel, Scripture, church, baptism, communion, Christian ethics, and mission.
A repeatable practice structure
The original book ends chapters with prayer but does not provide a modern curriculum with assignments, tracking, leader notes, or accountability cycles.
Multiplication
Tozer’s focus is the believer’s relationship with God, not a step-by-step process for equipping that believer to disciple others. A disciple-making curriculum should eventually ask not only, “What am I learning?” but “Whom am I helping obey and pass this on?”
When the book may be enough for your immediate goal
If your group already has solid biblical foundations and wants a focused ten-week season of spiritual renewal, the original book plus Scripture may be exactly enough.
If the group includes new believers or the goal is comprehensive disciple formation, supplement it.
A curriculum-building rule
Do not add material merely to make the course look impressive. Add only what the group’s goal requires. Tozer’s strength is simplicity and spiritual force. Preserve that while supplying the biblical breadth the setting needs.
Related articles
- How Can The Pursuit of God Be Used as a Discipleship Study Guide?
- How Do You Create a Lesson Guide for The Pursuit of God?
- How Can a Small Group Use The Pursuit of God as a Bible Study?
- View the full Knowledge Catalogue
Go deeper
The Our Kingdom Assignment study edition adds structured chapter summaries, Scripture connections, questions, application, and leader resources while preserving the original Tozer material as distinct from the modern study tools: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GVJFFS1J