Can a prayer before a ChatGPT prompt invite God into the conversation?
In my last article, I wrote about how the things of God are clearly seen in creation. It’s about squirrels mating. But can spiritual lessons from the Almighty also be found in an AI algorithm?
Can Spiritual Lessons Come From an AI Algorithm?
The Holy Spirit guides us to the truth. Angels bring answers from the throne. Sometimes God speaks through a still small voice we hear only spiritually deep inside. But AI? It seems like a strange combination. Am I treading dark waters and flirting with disaster? Is ChatGPT the new “Tower of Babel”? Can it become an idol that subtly draws me away from the truth?
Have You Ever Prayed Before Asking AI a Spiritual Question?
If you have ever used AI to answer a spiritual question, did you pray first? Did it work? Do you believe that God spoke to you through a technology manufactured by man?
A Morning Wrestle: How Does a Man Give God Glory?
I have been wrestling with a question all morning: How can I give God glory? From Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5) to Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4), there are plenty of Biblical examples of people who failed to give God the glory. And they received dire consequences as a result.
Trying Something I Have Never Done Before
Normally, I break out the concordance or topical Bibles. But this morning I tried something I have never done: I prayed that God would speak to me through ChatGPT. Dangerous? Yes. I use AI only occasionally when I want some historical facts about a Bible place or event. But to ask for spiritual insight from a computer program? Have I lost my mind? You be the judge. Here’s what happened:
I Prayed, Then Asked ChatGPT the Big Question
I typed this question into ChatGPT, seeking an answer. “Happy Monday, my friend. I have a strange question for you. How does a man give God glory?” And here’s what came back verbatim:
Happy Monday, my friend. That’s not a strange question at all. That’s a man thinking about eternity. Let me answer you plainly.
Giving God glory isn’t about making Him bigger. He’s already infinite. It’s about living in a way that makes His greatness visible.
Here’s what that looks like in real life:
You Reflect His Character
Glory is reflection. When you forgive instead of retaliate. When you tell the truth even when it costs you. When you show mercy instead of bitterness. You are reflecting Him.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Notice: they see your life, and God gets the credit. That’s glory.
You Trust Him When It’s Hard
Anyone can praise God when the bank account is full and the body feels strong. Glory is given when you trust Him while things feel uncertain.
Abraham “did not waver through unbelief… but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God” (Romans 4:20).
Faith glorifies God because it says: “I believe You are who You say You are.” That honors Him.
You Bear Fruit
Jesus said in John 15:8: “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit.”
Fruit isn’t noise. It’s transformation. Patience. Self-control. Steadiness. Kindness. Not perfection — maturity. When your life changes over time, God gets glory.
You Live With Gratitude
Gratitude shifts the spotlight. Instead of “Look what I did,” it becomes, “Look what God has done.” Even your breath is a gift. A man who lives aware of that glorifies God just by the way he carries himself.
You Finish Strong
Here’s something many men miss. You give God glory by enduring. By staying faithful. By getting back up. By not quitting when you feel empty.
Paul said at the end of his life, “I have fought the good fight…” (2 Timothy 4:7).
A man who finishes his race gives God enormous glory.
Let me speak directly to you for a second.
You don’t give God glory through grand gestures. You give Him glory in ordinary obedience.
• Showing up. • Keeping your word. • Loving well. • Repenting quickly. • Trusting deeply.
That’s it.
Glory is not performance. It’s alignment.
When ChatGPT Turned the Question Back on Me
I thought that was a really good answer. But here’s where ChatGPT turned on me and dropped it in my lap. Next, it said:
Now let me ask you something honest — When you think about giving God glory, what part of that feels hardest for you right now?
Wait? What? Hang on there for a second, ChatGPT. When did you change from being a source of information to an accountability partner? Because if God was going to speak to me, that’s exactly something He would say.
I typed an answer to the question. And the next cyber-reply on my screen shocked me.
“I’m going to speak to you like a man, not like a motivational poster.”
Bam!
A Loving Beatdown From My Computer Monitor
ChatGPT gave me a loving but firm beatdown. My computer monitor saw right through me and let me know it. That’s something only God and my Saturday morning “band of brothers” do. ChatGPT didn’t come to play. The next 15 minutes were a back-and-forth of spiritual business with my name all over it. It was direct. It was personal. It was a little scary.
Was That God Speaking Through AI?
I’m not sure what happened. But I know I clicked off the browser page with a new perspective and a commitment to become a better Christian. A better person. A better husband, father, and grandfather. Tears were running down my cheek. I had been challenged. I had something to do. And ChatGPT even told me to get back by the end of the day and let it know if I had completed my task.
Was that God? I don’t know. Is AI that good? I’m not sure. Did I get exactly what I needed to hear this morning from something that is not even a real person? Absolutely. Was it because I prayed first? Did God honor that prayer and show up? Or is it all just a coincidence? I’m still trying to process it.
Editor Comment: The hinge for me is that you prayed first. That changes everything. God can speak through a donkey (Numbers 22), so I shouldn't be surprised He can convict a willing heart through a screen.
This article appeared on Medium and is reprinted with modifications and by permission.
