How Spiritual Leaders Are Using AI + ChatGPT Prompts

Explore how pastors, content creators, and faith-driven leaders are using AI to focus on what matters most.

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This is the first of a series on using AI across industries, aimed at giving YOU a BLUEPRINT. We’ll start focusing on Spiritual Leaders, followed by Healthcare Professionals and Creators, and finally Business.

During the pandemic, something unexpected happened. Churches that embraced livestreaming and digital platforms didn’t just survive; they saw a rise in engagement. While pews sat empty, messages reached homes, phones, and lives in new ways.

It wasn’t perfect. There were glitches and gaps. But the takeaway wasn’t fear of technology. It was stewardship of tools.

Yes, there’s plenty of negative on the internet. But we didn’t throw out online opportunities simply because the internet could be misused. We clarified our mission, then adapted our method.

AI is a similar opportunity, except the potential is exponentially greater.

In Tim Keller’s words: “You don’t adapt the message, you adapt the methods.”

So let’s be clear. The mission doesn’t change. But the means we use to live it out must.

This piece is about how spiritual leaders, pastors, writers, speakers, and spiritual leaders are already using AI in real ways, without compromising their calling. They’re not automating their soul. They’re reclaiming time, amplifying impact, and staying rooted in their message. AND YOU CAN TOO.

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The False Choice That's Holding Us Back

Many leaders today feel caught in a false binary:

• Either do everything by hand, the “pure” way

• Or outsource everything to AI, the “lazy” way

Both extremes miss the point.

AI is not the enemy of impactful, thoughtful leadership. But neither is it the answer to every problem. AI is only as wise, honest, and grounded as the person using it.

Used with discernment, AI can actually reinforce what matters most in spiritual leadership:

• Clarity in communication

• Consistency in teaching

• Capacity for deep, personal engagement

• Expansion of reach

What’s missing is a map. Not just the theology of AI, but the practice of using it well, without guilt or hype.

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Real Leaders, Real Uses

In order to write this, I reached out to influential spiritual writers and leaders to ask about their use of AI, and here is what they said. Across writing, preaching, discipleship, and research, spiritual leaders are discovering that AI isn’t a threat to ministry, but a tool to steward with wisdom. Below are five categories of use, each with direct quotes and a ready-to-use expert prompt to help you apply the insight.

Take time to explore these authors and their work! They are great leaders and writers.

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1. Communication Craft: Sharpening What You’ve Already Written

Many leaders are using AI for one simple reason: it makes their communication clearer and more effective without changing their message. Whether refining a blog post or cleaning up a discipleship tool, AI is functioning like a trusted second pair of eyes.

Paul Christopher, author of The Salt and Light Daily, one of my favorite encouraging publications, shared:

“I use AI for grammar checks. I asked ChatGPT to draw an image based on a story I used in a post—it was actually really well done.”

Robert Cale, author of Koinonia 59 echoed this use:

“I use AI for grammar checking and image creation… Sometimes for theological clarification, kind of like a commentary. But I always want sources.”

Other ways spiritual leaders are using AI in this area:

• Polishing sermon manuscripts

• Creating metaphoric visuals for teaching

• Rewriting announcements for tone and clarity

Start here! Below is a prompt you can use to improve your messages:

💡 MESSAGE IMPROVEMENT - Copy-paste Prompt:

I'm a spiritual leader refining a message for my community. Here's my draft:[INSERT MESSAGE]

Help in 3 steps—preserving my voice and intent:

1. Clarity & Flow: Polish grammar, rhythm, and transitions. Keep it natural and don't change my tone or style.

2. Metaphor & Visual:Suggest 1–2 metaphors or visual ideas that could reinforce the message. Be specific.

3. Give me 5 snippets of text I can use to point to this message in social media platforms and a bulletin.

Here’s an example of the output you should see:

2. Theological Insight: Research Without Replacing Discernment

Leaders studying theology, church history, or Scripture often face a time crunch. AI is helping some summarize, compare, and organize research, without outsourcing wisdom.

Pastor Steve, author of Dr. Steve’s Substack, shared:

“I use AI every day for ministerial purposes—most of my interaction is for research in theological, scholarly, and historical areas. I have found a few times that the information was not accurate and so I had to correct the interface but most of the time it is correct. It has saved me tons of time that I normally spent ‘looking up’”

This use of AI includes:

• Cross-referencing biblical commentaries

• Organizing seminary-level lecture content

• Drafting outlines for a new teaching series

💡 ORIGINAL TEXT RESEARCH - Copy-paste Prompt:

Analyze the original Greek or Hebrew of this Bible passage: [INSERT VERSE HERE]. Do the following:

1. Identify 3–5 key words or phrases and give their original-language term (Greek or Hebrew), Strong’s number, and transliteration.

2. Provide the root meaning, possible translations, and theological significance of each.

3. Offer examples of how each word is used elsewhere in Scripture for context.

4. Summarize how the original wording deepens or sharpens the meaning of the passage.

Only use trusted biblical scholarship. Do not speculate. Keep it faithful to the original languages.

Here’s an example of the output you should see:

3. Spiritual Discernment: Evaluating AI with Biblical Wisdom

For many, using AI is as much about how as it is about whether. Some leaders are building frameworks to evaluate their use in ministry, something all organizations and businesses have in common.

I loved what Rockefeller Kennedy, author of Christian Futurism, shared:

“AI is fundamentally a tool. The question isn't whether the tool is inherently good or bad, but whether we're using it wisely. When applied thoughtfully in any field so far, AI is a force multiplier, and as we've already seen can accelerate research, help organize complex arguments, and provide dialectical engagement for idea refinement.”

He continued:

“The fundamental principle to be considered if AI was to be used in ministry is that nothing replaces the human spirit, the Holy Spirit, or the grace of God in ministry.”

AI used with discernment helps leaders:

• Evaluate new tools for alignment with ministry values

• Educate teams on spiritual guardrails

• Create tech usage covenants for staff or elders

Further Reading:
For information on creating your organization’s AI framework and policy, read Don’t Let AI Fool Your Vision: The 6-Step Guide To Creating An AI Policy, which I co-wrote with AI and growth expert Jenny Ouyang.

Don’t Let AI Fool Your Vision: The 6-Step Guide To Creating An AI Policy

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4. Content Amplification: Making Good Messages Go Further

Leaders often have great content that never leaves their notes app. Jumbled brainstorms that don’t leave the brainstorm phase. AI is helping transform those messages into usable forms for broader reach.

Iann Schonken, author of The Daily Christian & also the author of the recommended learning resource in this post, Preaching from a Digital Pulpit, noted:

“Digital tools can enhance preaching, streamline sermon prep, and deepen engagement with a diverse and tech-savvy congregation.”

Kevin E Beasley, author of Missional Disciple Making Movements, shared a practical example:

“I utilize AI to make my work more efficient and my communication more effective. After drafting a message or tool, I run it through AI for formatting and structure. What took 30 minutes now takes a few.”

Applications here include:

• Turning sermons into blogs, emails, or studies

• Repurposing devotionals for social media

• Creating small group discussion questions from a message

💡 DEVOTIONAL AND REFLECTION - Copy-paste Prompt:

Take the following message and turn it into a 4-part devotional series:
[INSERT MESSAGE HERE]

For each part, do the following:

1. Create a short devotional title and a 150–200 word reflection.

2. Include 1 related Bible verse (ESV).

3. End with 2 discussion/reflection questions that prompt personal application.

Keep tone and style from the original. Each part should stand alone but still connect to a unified theme. 

Here’s an example of the output you should see:

5. Mission Efficiency: More Time for People, Not Paperwork

In almost every sector nowadays, including missions and church work, time tends to be the most precious resource. AI isn’t replacing ministry, it’s removing administrative drag, such as creative infographics!

Kevin E Beasley shared some insight here too, stating that…

“The general rule is: if AI can speed up task-oriented work without changing the content of my work, I’ll use it. More time = more mission.”

Leaders are using AI for:

• Community demographic scans

• Meeting recap generation

• Generate infographics

💡 INFOGRAPHIC CREATION - Copy-paste Prompt:

I’m a spiritual leader, and I want to turn the following message into a clear, mission-focused infographic. Here’s the message I want to visualize:
[PASTE YOUR MESSAGE HERE]

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Analyze the message and suggest:

3–4 key elements or phrases to feature in the visual

1 core takeaway or headline that communicates the heart of the message

1–2 visual metaphors that would represent the shift from admin to ministry (e.g., paper turning into people, time redirected, digital hands serving)

Pause after Step 1 and ask me to confirm or revise. Once I confirm, generate the image.

Here’s an example of the output you should see:

Start By Using It

This isn’t about creating a 12-week AI strategy for your church. It’s about taking the first step. Use these blueprints. Simply start using it—thoughtfully, prayerfully, and personally.

Here’s how:

1. Pick a Low-Risk Task
Start with something behind the scenes. Try cleaning up a newsletter draft. Have it rewrite an email intro. Or summarize a sermon outline for clarity. Get used to what AI sounds like, so you can better hear when it sounds like you.

2. Use AI as a Learning Partner
Many leaders are surprised by how well AI can help in study. Try asking it to compare multiple interpretations of a verse, or generate a word study from original Greek or Hebrew.

3. Watch for Voice Drift
If the response feels hollow or generic, don’t accept it. That’s your cue to teach the tool, not abandon it. Clarify your theology, tone, or boundaries. The more specific you are, the more aligned the output becomes.

4. Let Curiosity Lead
Don’t approach AI as a threat to ministry; approach it like a new intern who’s eager but needs supervision. Ask better questions. Experiment. Reflect.

This isn’t a shortcut to deep work. But it can be a way to do your best work more often.

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If You Only Remember This

• AI doesn’t replace spiritual leadership, it enhances clarity, focus, and time when used wisely

• The false choice between doing everything by hand or automating everything is holding leaders back

• Real pastors, creators, and disciple-makers are using AI in practical, intentional ways

• You don’t adapt the mission, you adapt the method

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QUESTION

Which of the prompts shared do you want to try? Or do you have one to share? Share in the comments.

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Recommended Reading

Want to go deeper? Take a look at the book Preaching from a Digital Pulpit.

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