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  OH!
  by A.W. Tozer
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Summary: A.W. Tozer emphasizes the importance of maintaining a heartfelt
connection with God, represented by the exclamatory 'Oh!', in contrast
to mere theological knowledge.

Topics: "The Nature of Prayer", "Spiritual Awe"
Scripture References: Psalm 46:10, Isaiah 6:5, Jeremiah 1:6, Romans 11:33

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DESCRIPTION
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A.W. Tozer emphasizes the importance of the exclamatory expression 'Oh!'
in our relationship with God, contrasting it with the intellectual
confines of theology. He argues that true spiritual experience
transcends mere knowledge and invites a heartfelt response to God's
presence, which often leaves us in silence and awe. Tozer warns that
losing the 'Oh!' in our prayers signifies a dangerous shift towards
self-reliance and a lack of genuine connection with God. He encourages
Christians to maintain a sense of wonder and reverence in their
spiritual lives, ensuring that their prayers are heartfelt rather than
merely routine. The sermon concludes with a plea to never lose that
profound sense of awe before God.

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CONTENT
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Then said I: "Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth."
--Jeremiah 1:6

To be articulate at certain times we are compelled to fall back upon
"Oh!" or "O!"--a primitive exclamatory sound that is hardly a word at
all and that scarcely admits of a definition....

In theology there is no "Oh!" and this is a significant if not ominous
thing. Theology seeks to reduce what may be known of God to intellectual
terms, and as long as the intellect can comprehend it can find words to
express itself. When God Himself appears before the mind, awesome, vast
and incomprehensible, then the mind sinks into silence and the heart
cries out "O Lord God!" There is the difference between theological
knowledge and spiritual experience, the difference between knowing God
by hearsay and knowing Him by acquaintance. And the difference is not
verbal merely; it is real and serious and vital.

We Christians should watch lest we lose the "Oh!" from our hearts....

When we become too glib in prayer we are most surely talking to
ourselves. When the calm listing of requests and the courteous giving of
proper thanks take the place of the burdened prayer that finds utterance
difficult we should beware the next step, for our direction is surely
down whether we know it or not. Born After Midnight, pp. 86-87

"Lord, don't ever let me lose the 'Oh!' Amen."

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/aw-tozer/oh/
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