From Transaction to Transformation: Discovering True Prayer in "Opening to God"

Mini-Essay #3

For years, I approached prayer as a spiritual tool, a means to an end – a way to ask for favors or seek guidance in times of trouble. But Thomas Green's Opening to God has challenged this perspective, revealing prayer as something far more profound: a transformational encounter with the divine. This mini-essay will explore Green's concept of prayer as a God-initiated encounter, arguing that true prayer transforms our will and shapes us into the likeness of God.

Previously, my prayer life felt transactional. I approached God with a list of needs and desires, hoping to receive answers and solutions. However, Green argues that "God is the Lord of the encounter," (Green, page #63). This understanding necessitates a posture of humility and surrender. Instead of demanding answers, we are called to quiet our own agendas and become attentive to God's presence, trusting that He knows what is best, even when it differs from our own desires. Opening our hearts, in this context, is an act of relinquishing control and embracing the mystery of God's will.

This act of opening allows God to shape our will, to align our desires with His. Our prayer, like that of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, shifts from "my will be done" to "thy will be done" – a profound act of surrender that acknowledges God's wisdom and sovereignty. This doesn't mean passively accepting whatever comes our way, but rather actively seeking to discern God's will and aligning our actions with His purposes. This surrender to God's will is not always easy; it often requires letting go of our preconceived notions and embracing the unknown. For me, this has manifested as a significant increase in silence during prayer. Initially, this silence felt unsettling and unproductive, but as Green wisely said, “the primary task of prayer is to waste time gracefully,” (Green, page #47), I decided to embrace it. As I persevered, I began to experience a deeper sense of God's presence and a clearer understanding of His plans for my life – a knowledge that transcended mere intellectual understanding. This shift, inspired by Green's emphasis on God's initiative, has transformed my prayer life from a series of requests to a lived encounter with the divine. This is prayer being lived, not used – a testament to Green's insight that true prayer is not a transaction, but a transformative encounter with the living God.