Longing After God
A.W. Tozer's sermon 'Longing After God' emphasizes the importance of a deep longing after God and the need for a revival of passionate prayer and a deeper relationship with Him.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the deep longing for God that characterized the lives of holy men and women throughout history. He reflects on Moses' passionate plea to know God better, illustrating that true desire for God leads to a more profound experience of His presence and glory. Tozer laments the lack of such fervent desire in contemporary believers and calls for a restoration of this longing in the hearts of Christians today. He encourages a relentless pursuit of God, suggesting that the sweetness of finding Him is magnified by the depth of our seeking.
Text
Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight.... --Exodus 33:13
Come near to the holy men and women of the past and you will soon feel the heat of their desire after God. They mourned for Him, they prayed and wrestled and sought for Him day and night, in season and out, and when they had found Him the finding was all the sweeter for the long seeking. Moses used the fact that he knew God as an argument for knowing Him better. "Now, therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight;" and from there he rose to make the daring request, "I beseech thee, show me thy glory." God was frankly pleased by this display of ardor, and the next day called Moses into the mount, and there in solemn procession made all His glory pass before him. The Pursuit of God, 15.
"Does anyone today know anything about that heat of desire after You, God? I'm not reading or hearing much that comes close, though thankfully there are a few exceptions. Restore to us today this deep longing, I pray in Jesus' name. Amen."
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Longing After God
- The Absence of Longing in Modern Christianity
- Restoring the Longing After God
- The Role of Prayer in Reviving Desire
- The Power of Intercession in Reviving the Church
- God's Response to Moses' Desire
Key Quotes
“Does anyone today know anything about that heat of desire after You, God?” — A.W. Tozer
“Restore to us today this deep longing, I pray in Jesus' name.” — A.W. Tozer
“I beseech thee, show me thy glory.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We must prioritize a deep longing after God in our lives, just like Moses did.
- Prayer is essential in reviving our desire for God and His presence in our lives.
- Intercession can revive the Church by stirring up a deeper longing after God.