I saw a video from James Kelly of FaithTech where he talked about how we as Christians ought to "pray before prompting."
This got me thinking more about my answer when I get asked, “How do you use AI for work?” My answer is that I use AI as a tool to speed up work, but it doesn't replace the time-consuming and thinking-intensive work of creative design and problem-solving.
Here's an example. As a UX designer, one of the most important steps in designing an app is mapping the user's journey from their first encounter to app adoption. This mapping can only be done through thoughtful flowcharting that ends up looking something like the example below.
We build these charts based on user feedback and interviews, actual user behavioral analytics, and UX design principles. The process of charting the user's journey helps us slow down, prayerfully consider the problems, and exercise our God-given creative thinking ability to create the right solution.
So where does AI come in? AI can help me speed up this process by rapidly analyzing all the customer feedback emails and user interview transcripts, and poring over thousands of anonymized data points.
There's a real temptation to believe in a “magic genie” that solves all of our problems. AI is not that and never will be. That's because only we as humans are created in the image of God. He has blessed us with His own attributes, like the ability to think creatively, exercise compassion, and evaluate things critically.
On the other hand, we could live in fear of something that can genuinely add value and help our Kingdom work. I can confidently say that using LLMs has shaved days, if not weeks, off our development process. Neglecting a tool simply out of ignorance or fear would be like wasting a talent that God has given us.
Most importantly, the only One we can truly trust for real solutions is the only person who can create something from nothing. Before we prompt AI, we should come before the God who can actually solve problems in prayer.
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;Psalm 28:6–8, ESV
Please pray that we will always put our trust in the Lord as our strength and our defender, and that we will neither take pride in human accomplishments nor live in fear. Who or what are you placing your trust in? Do you fear the things of the world? I invite you to bring those things to God because He loves you and knows your heart.
Thank you for praying like lives depend on it, because they do.
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