A.W. Tozer - How To Cultivate the Holy Spirit's Companionship

A.W. Tozer emphasizes that the first step in cultivating the Holy Spirit’s companionship is recognizing Him as a living Person, not an impersonal force. The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity, possessing all qualities and powers of personality. Tozer writes, “He is a Person… with all the qualities and powers of personality. He is not matter, but He is substance.” Because He is a Person, He can be wooed, cultivated, and known intimately, just as one would cultivate a relationship with any other person.

The Condition for Companionship: Honoring Jesus Christ

The central principle Tozer presents for cultivating the Spirit’s companionship is the glorification of Jesus Christ. He asserts that the Holy Spirit was given only after Jesus was glorified, establishing a permanent principle: the Spirit will not flood the life of anyone unless Jesus is glorified within them. Tozer states, “If you dedicate yourself to the glory of Jesus, the Holy Ghost will become the aggressor and will seek to know you and raise you and illumine you and fill you and bless you.” Honoring Jesus involves trusting Him completely, obeying His commands, and following Him as Shepherd.

A.W. Tozer taught that cultivating the Holy Spirit’s companionship requires actively treating the Spirit as a divine Person, abandoning sin to maintain spiritual fellowship, and centering your heart on the glory of Christ.

Tozer’s teachings on how to cultivate this companionship are deeply rooted in scripture. The table below outlines 10 core principles for building this relationship, paired with their foundational KJV verses and corresponding Tozer concepts:

Principle	KJV Verse	Tozer’s Application
1. Agree to walk together	Amos 3:3	The Holy Spirit is a Person; you must mutually desire to walk the same path.
2. Seek total oneness	1 Corinthians 6:17	Cultivate the Spirit’s acquaintance by surrendering your will to be “one spirit” with Him.
3. Walk in righteousness	1 John 1:6	God cannot fellowship with those who deliberately indulge in or live in sin.
4. Purify your inward thoughts	Psalm 139:23	Make your mind a clean sanctuary; be internally pure as well as externally.
5. Magnify the Person of Christ	John 16:14	The Spirit’s primary work is to glorify Christ; to fellowship with the Spirit, you must be engrossed with Jesus.
6. Live according to the Word	John 15:7	Seek to know God deeply through the written Word so the Holy Spirit can live in you.
7. Recognize His presence daily	Proverbs 3:6	Cultivate the art of acknowledging the Lord’s presence in every place and at all times.
8. Expel all hindrances	Isaiah 59:2	Search your heart to identify what hinders your walk with God, and actively put those things out of your life.
9. Cultivate quietness	Psalm 46:10	Remove yourself from the “everlasting squirrel cage” of empty activity to hear His voice.
10. Practice meekness	Matthew 11:29	Approach the Holy Spirit with gentleness, humility, and teachability rather than self-assertiveness.

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