If you let it, ChatGPT can become your best friend.
No, it won’t (and shouldn’t) write your sermons for you, but it can help you do a lot of the ground work involved in putting together a sermon in a fraction of the time.
Think of it as a high-powered research assistant. Instead of combing through page after page of websites looking for the perfect illustration, or a list of relevant Bible characters, or a set of common arguments against baptism, you can just ask AI to do it for you.
To be fair, some of the data it will spit out at you will be garbage. A recent joint study by UC Berkley and Stanford revealed that ChatGPT’s data has actually gotten worse in recent months.
Anecdotal evidence also has shown it to be unreliable. I recently asked it for quotes on from Christian philosophers on a recent subject, and nearly every quote it returned was inaccurate.
So yeah, we probably shouldn’t blindly trust this new technology just yet.
101 ChatGPT Prompts for Preachers
That being said, ChatGPT does excel as an antidote to writer’s block.
(Mandatory Disclaimer: ChatGPT should never write your content for you. Ever. Under any circumstances. For a lot of reasons — ethically, logically, and spiritually.).
We all know the struggle of staring at a blank page, whether that’s when you’re trying to write a bulletin article, start a sermon (or get ideas for a sermon), or developing Bible class material.
Getting that first little push can make all the difference between a day of solid work or a day of frustration.
It all depends on the prompts, though. Ask ChatGPT the right questions, and it’ll spit out the right type of info that should get your creative juices flowing.
Here are 101 prompts to get you started.
- Give me 15 verses that have to do with [subject].
- Write me 20 characters in the Bible that [insert action word].
- What are some ways the Bible talks about [topic].
- Give me 50 title ideas for a Bible class on [describe your Bible class].
- What is the most popular verse in the book of [Bible book]?
- What does the Bible say about the relationship between [topic] and [topic]?
- What are some of the common arguments against [controversial topic].
- What are some of the common arguments for [controversial topic].
- What are some ancient Christian teachings on [subject].
- Give me 30 points from [Bible passage].
- What are five trending Bible-based subjects?
- Find me ten popular sermons on [subject].
- Give me a brief history of the life and teachings of [religious historical figure].
- What are the most popular social posts from [entity and platform].
- Share with me 30 interesting stats about the state of Christianity in America.
- Tell me a true life story about [keyword].
- Write me social media copy based on this sermon: [insert your sermon text].
- Give me thirty interesting titles for a sermon based on [subject].
- What are 15 of the most frequently asked questions on [subject].
- What are the 10 most popular Bible websites right now?
- Give me a list of keywords I can use in an article on [subject].
- Create a topic cluster around the idea of [subject].
- Give me 30 blog post ideas on [subject].
- Craft a series of welcome emails for my mailing list.
- Give me 10 ideas I could use for my next book on [subject].
- Break up this text into relevant subheadings: [insert text].
- What kind of lead magnet can I send to an audience based on [subject].
- What are some effective ways I can advertise my lead magnet?
- Find me 15 examples of [topic] in the Bible
- Write a list of 15 thought-provoking questions on [subject].
- Summarize this sermon in 150 word script I can use for social media: [insert text].
- Rewrite this paragraph to make it read on a fifth grade level.
- Write copy for an event on Facebook.
- What are some important dates coming up in the next six months?
- Provide me a fictional story based on [subject].
- Write me a copy for a Youtube video based on [subject].
- What are some common religious challenges faced by youth?
- What are some common religious challenges faced by married couples?
- What are some common religious challenges faced by middle-aged people?
- What are some common religious challenges faced by elderly?
- What are some unique challenges that single Christians face?
- How can I better structure my workweek if I have these commitments: [insert commitments].
- What are some of the most popular books on [subject].
- Explain [difficult Bible concept] in very simple terms.
- Create a how-to guide for evangelism in my local town.
- Challenge my opinion on [subject]. My position is [state your position].
- Create a ten question survey I can hand out to my church to [state goal].
- I want you to imagine you are [Bible character]. I’ll ask you questions and you answer them as [Bible character].
- I’m going to tell you a fact on [subject]. You tell me if I’m right or wrong.
- What areas of the world is the Bible least popular?
- What are the fastest growing religions in the world as of 2024?
- I want you to role play as an atheist. I’m going to try and talk to you about the Bible. Respond politely at first, then start to get agitated.
- Give me 11 ideas for evangelism that are most effective.
- Please advise me of the challenges of being a Christian.
- Come up with 13 ideas for a new Bible-based website.
- I want you to be an atheist. Tell me your three main objections to becoming a Christian.
- Help me find a conclusion to a sermon on [subject].
- Summarize [Bible passage] in 50 words.
- Suggest 30 church hymns on [subject].
- Give me 15 Youtube videos that talk about [subject].
- Create a blog calendar for the next six months. It should include {topics].
- Do you believe that we should teach the Bible to aliens?
- What would a conversation between King David and the Apostle Paul be like?
- Create a fictional conversation between the Pharisees talking about Jesus.
- How many talking animals were there in the Bible?
- Tell me a terrible Bible joke.
- Give me a list of the 10 most important church councils in history.
- What language was the Bible written in in the year 785 AD?
- What are [demographic] looking for in a church?
- Give me five trends in regards to worship style in Churches today.
- I’d like to do a sermon on [subject]. Can you give me 30 relevant verses?
- I’d like to do a sermon on [subject]. Can you give me ten relevant stories to use?
- Read Acts 2:38 like Generation Z.
- What is the dominant Christian denomination in [location].
- Give me ten ideas for a new Bible class for teenagers. The topics have to be exciting for the age group and relevant to their struggles.
- What are the ethical concerns with using instruments in worship?
- Come up with a sermon introduction that’s relevant to [subject].
- Write a story in the form of the KJV that’s about a guy trying to find his remote control.
- Give me 50 lessons from [Bible passage].
- Take all the line breaks out of this PDF: [copy text].
- Help me come up with a five Sunday sermon series about [subject].
- What is the ancient Hebrews’ viewpoint on [topic].
- What are some of the most significant archaeological findings that are Bible-related from the 20th century?
- Ask me ten questions about [Bible subject] so that I can deepen my understanding on this subject.
- Check this blog article for grammar and spelling issues: [enter text].
- Please review this paragraph and give me ideas on how to expound it [enter text].
- I’m traveling to [location] soon. Please translate this sermon into [language].
- Please optimize this sermon summary for SEO: [enter text].
- Give me 30 ways our church can develop Bible studies with the community.
- Think critically on this: How can churches make [Bible topic] relevant in today’s world?
- What are some recent statistics on [sermon subject].
- What are five tools I can use to accomplish [specific task].
- What are some times in the [part of the Bible] where [something] happened?
- What are 20 Christian blogs I can reach out to for guest posts and backlinks?
- I’m discouraged about [struggle]. Give me 20 verses that will help me through a tough time.
- What kinds of information should I ask for in a connect card for my church?
- What are some privacy laws I need to know before starting an email campaign for my church?
- What types of information should I include on my [page on website]?
- What are thirty verses that correspond with [Bible verse].
- 100. Give me a list of the 100 most influential Christian writers of all time.
- 101. Write a four-stanza psalm on the subject of [Bible subject].