The Secret of Those Who Burn for God

“The Secret of Those Who Burn for God” is a recurring theme in Tozer’s writings, emphasizing that God’s holy fire requires a wholly surrendered, undivided heart.

Tozer famously taught that God withholds His manifest presence not out of stinginess, but from holy jealousy. We cannot receive His fire if we try to hold on to 99% of our lives while keeping an unsurrendered 1% reserved for ourselves (such as hidden ambition, comfort, or unforgiveness). Because God loves us too much to allow idols to share His throne, the fire is withheld until the sacrifice is placed completely on the altar.

The Paradox of the Burning Heart

The central secret of those who “burn for God,” according to A. W. Tozer in The Pursuit of God, is a holy paradox: to have found God and still to pursue Him. Tozer argues that true spiritual life is not a static possession but a dynamic, ever-deepening relationship. While the “too-easily-satisfied religionist” may rest in a theoretical knowledge of salvation, the burning soul experiences a continuous, insatiable desire for more of God’s presence. This hunger is not a sign of lack, but of life; it is the evidence that the soul has tasted the “piercing sweetness” of the Divine and can never be satisfied with anything less.

The Role of Prevenient Grace

Tozer emphasizes that this burning desire is not self-generated. It is the result of prevenient grace—the theological truth that God must first seek man before man can seek God. Before a sinful person can think a right thought of God or feel a spark of desire for Him, God must have already performed a work of enlightenment within the heart. Therefore, the very urge to pursue God is proof that God has already been at work. The “fire” that glows in the deep spirit of a believer is actually the response to God’s initial drawing, creating a cycle where the more one knows God, the more one desires to know Him.

The Cost of the Flame: The Cross and Self-Denial

A critical component of this burning life is the destruction of the self-life. Tozer identifies the “self” as the primary enemy that tolerates no rival. To burn for God, one must be willing to lose their life for Christ’s sake. This involves a spiritual crucifixion where the possessive nature of the self is nailed to the cross. Tozer uses the imagery of the Old Testament tabernacle, noting that one cannot enter the Holy of Holies (the conscious presence of God) without passing through the brazen altar (sacrifice). The fire of God’s presence consumes the sacrifice of the self, and only through this death to self can the believer experience the “resurrection glory” of unhindered communion with God.

A.W. Tozer’s classic theme on “burning for God” emphasizes that divine fire requires a wholly surrendered heart. God withholds His flame from a divided life, waiting for total consecration rather than arbitrary refusal.

Below are 10 biblical examples Tozer points to in his writings (like The Pursuit of God) or sermons, demonstrating the posture of those who burn for God according to the KJV:

	Bible Character / Verse (KJV)	Concept of Burning for God
1	Psalm 63:8 (“My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.”)	Total dedication: A relentless, passionate pursuit of God’s presence.
2	Psalm 39:3 (“My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue.”)	The “burning heart”: The fire of God is found in quietness and silent meditation upon His nature.
3	Exodus 3:2 (“…and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.”)	Divine encounter: Moses’ holy-ground experience illustrates God’s presence as sacred and unquenchable.
4	Leviticus 6:13 (“The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.”)	Continuous devotion: The requirement for the priest’s altar mirrors the believer’s constant, uninterrupted worship.
5	1 Kings 18:38 (“Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice…”)	Total surrender: The fire of God only falls on an altar that is entirely given over to Him.
6	Isaiah 6:6-7 (“…having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:”)	Purification: The coal represents the purging of sin and the kindling of a holy prophetic passion.
7	Jeremiah 20:9 (“But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones…”)	Compelling passion: God’s truth brings an irresistible, consuming inward drive to share His message.
8	Luke 24:32 (“And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way…”)	Spiritual illumination: Experiencing the warmth and revelation of Christ’s presence in everyday life.
9	Romans 12:1 (“…present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God…”)	Sacrificial living: The foundation for the fire is the total, unreserved offering of one’s own life.
10	Hebrews 12:29 (“For our God is a consuming fire.”)	Holy jealousy: God is a consuming fire who demands the whole heart and burns away all impurities.

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