The Art of AI Prompting
What Makes a Prompt Effective?
“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away,
will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?”
In the Gospels, Jesus frequently used questions as a profound teaching tool, engaging His listeners in a way that went beyond simply conveying information. Rather than offering direct answers, Jesus’ questions were designed to provoke reflection, challenge assumptions, and reveal deeper truths. This method not only invited those around Him to examine their own hearts and beliefs but also led them to discover spiritual insights in a personal and transformative manner. By examining these elements, we can better understand how to craft our own questions, or prompts, using AI that are similarly impactful.
In AI and ministry, prompts guide the generation of content, responses, or ideas from systems like the Digital Shepherd. They set the stage for interaction.
What Makes Jesus’ Prompts Effective?
Jesus’ questions were powerful because they were:
1. Clear and Direct: His questions were straightforward, making it easy for others to engage.
2. Contextual: He always set the scene, ensuring his questions were relevant to the moment.
3. Engaging: His questions required deep thinking, not just surface-level answers.
4. Specific: He asked targeted questions that led to personal reflection.
5. Open-ended: His prompts allowed for a range of responses, inviting deeper exploration of faith.
By incorporating these elements, Jesus’ questions led others to meaningful insights and deeper understanding.
Styles and Formats for AI Prompts
Prompting is a skill that can be learned and refined. Here are ten types of prompts to help get you started.
1. Question-Based: Encourages exploration. Example: “What are the core values of your faith community?”
2. Scenario-Based: Describes a situation for response. Example: “How would you incorporate team-building activities into a youth retreat?”
3. Statement-Based: Asks for elaboration or opinion. Example: “Faith is a journey, not a destination. Discuss.”
4. Instructional: Gives specific guidance. Example: “Write a prayer of gratitude for Sunday service.”
5. Reflective: Encourages introspection. Example: “Reflect on a time when you felt close to God.”
6. Contextual: Provides background for relevant responses. Example: “Suggest team-building activities for a youth retreat.”
7. Persona-Based: Instructs AI to respond as a specific character. Example: “As a compassionate pastor, write to a teenager struggling with faith.”
8. Example-Based: Provides specific examples. Example: “Write a prayer of gratitude like this: ‘Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of community.’”
9. Task-Oriented: Asks the AI to perform specific tasks. Example: “Create a schedule for a church retreat including worship and discussion questions”
What is a Prompt Library?
A prompt library is a curated collection of prompts for AI systems. It guides content generation, answering questions, or performing tasks in various ministry contexts.
Why Use a Prompt Library?
Efficiency: Saves time with ready-made prompts.
Consistency: Ensures a coherent voice and style.
Inspiration: Sparks new ideas and solutions.
Quality Control: Improves AI-generated content quality.
Resourcefulness: Provides valuable tools for engaging communities and enhancing ministry.
The Digital Shepherd has a prompt library of over 1800 prompts, categorized by topics like Advent Planning, Administration, Pastoral Care, Theology, and more. Explore this tool to enhance your ministry work.