This is another installment in a series that has been adapted from my 11-part CD teaching series on A. W. Tozer’s spiritual classic, The Pursuit of God.

“Whoever will listen will hear the speaking Heaven. This is definitely not the hour when men take kindly to an exhortation to listen, for listening is not today a part of popular religion . . . . Religion has accepted the monstrous heresy that noise, size, activity and bluster make a man dear to God.” If that statement were true of popular religion back in 1948, imagine how much more it characterizes our own time. Consider how great is the number of driven people throughout history who have built grand empires, ignited global movements, or created mass-market campaigns, all in an effort to make themselves dear to God.

Well, if our impressive efforts don’t make enough noise to get God’s attention, what does? Tozer answers from Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God.” God’s attentive Presence is drawn to those who seek out the still, quiet places and patiently wait for his approach. In time, he will come and we will know who it is. But until then, it’s best to get alone with your Bible spread open before you and wait with a receptive heart.

How will God speak to us? Tozer suggests a general progression, although it will vary according to the individual. He says,

“First a sound as of a Presence walking in the garden. Then a Voice, more intelligible, but still far from clear. Then the happy moment when the Spirit begins to illuminate the Scriptures, and that which had been only a sound, or at best a voice, now becomes

an intelligible word, warm and intimate as the word of a dear friend. Then will come life and light, and best of all, ability to see and rest in and embrace Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of All.”

In addition to what Tozer says, let me suggest that you also try this. When you read a passage of Scripture try to identify one verse that seemed to speak to you. Then hone in on that truth and read it over and over until you are no longer reading it for information, but for “formation.” Allow that truth from God to have its way with your spirit. Read it in another translation. Meditate on it. Ask questions of the passage. Pray it back to God. And as you pray, periodically stop talking and listen for God to speak to you through his Spirit. If your mind should wander, then simply return to the passage and continue. Start off with a passage like Colossians 3 and work your way through the chapter, two or three verses a day. The key is listening, listening for God’s Spirit to speak to you within your spirit. Don’t listen for something to come from the outside, because the way to intimacy is by being in the Word and him being the Word in you. In time, you will learn to recognize the distinct Voice of God.

• Religion has accepted the monstrous heresy that noise, size, activity and bluster make a man dear to God.

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