Have you heard of Aiden Wilson Tozer? The American Christian pastor, author, and spiritual mentor with honorary doctorates from Wheaton and Houghton colleges?

Born on 21, April 1897, in a small farming community in Pennsylvania, U.S, he became a Christian as a teenager. His conversion was quite memorable. He was walking home from work at a tire company.

He then heard a preacher say, ‘if you don't know how to be saved, just call on God saying, ‘Lord, be merciful to me a sinner'. When he got home, he went into the attic and did that.

Aiden was born in a poor family and most of the things he knew were self-taught. In 1919, five years after becoming a Christian, he became a pastor in his first church, without any formal education in Christian theology.

Aiden began his writing career in 1931 when he started writing for the Christian and Missionary Alliance, Alliance Weekly. He later became the magazine's editor in 1950, a position he held until his death in 1963.

Aiden went on to write the biographies of A.B Simpson and Robert A. Jaffray. His third book, The Pursuit of God, made him popular among evangelicals. He published 12 books with 40 more being compiled from his magazine features, editorials, and transcribed sermons.

In 2000, The Pursuit of God was in Christianity Today's list of 100 Books of the Century. In 2006, Knowledge of the Holy was also named among The Top 50 Books That Have Shaped Evangelicals.

Aiden was married to Ada Cecilia Pfautz and together they had seven children. They enjoyed living a simple life and never bought a car, preferring traveling by bus or train.

He signed away most of his royalties to the needy. Prayer was very vital in Aiden's life until he died of a heart attack. Here are his inspiring quotes.