Born in Moers, Germany in 1697, as a young man Tersteegen gave up his life as a successful merchant and moved into an isolated cottage in order to search for God. In 1727 a revival took place and what started as a journey of solitude took a new direction as people began coming to him for spiritual guidance. Before long he was giving personal counsel from morning to night. The numbers seeking his guidance grew to the point that he was forced to move into a house to better accommodate them. In 1731 he published his first collection of hymns, The Spiritual Flower Garden. These hymns were so popular that they were sung at weddings, social gatherings, and even spoken as greetings. Thousands came to Tersteegen for spiritual counsel, many traveling great distances and sometimes waiting for hours in order to hear his words for a few minutes. He taught that God’s nature is in every man and it has only become obscured by focus on outward things. All who seek the “kingdom of Heaven” from within will find great joy in his words.

His life, and his inner life in particular, is the subject of The Quiet Way: A Christian Path to Inner Peace.