AI and Spiritual Formation: How Technology Shapes What We Love
TL;DR: AI shapes our spiritual formation by embedding its own values of speed and efficiency into our habits, potentially conforming us to the world rather than transforming us into the image of Christ.
AI shapes our spiritual formation by automating our habits and curating our desires. Its design for efficiency and instant gratification can subtly reorient our loves away from the patient, relational work of discipleship toward a more consumeristic, output-driven faith if we are not discerning.
Key takeaways
- AI is not a neutral tool; it carries embedded values like speed, efficiency, and personalization that shape how we think and act.
- Spiritual formation is about cultivating loves and desires that align with God's will, a process that AI can either support or undermine.
- The algorithms that power our feeds are liturgical, training us in daily rituals that direct our attention and affection.
- Christians must practice discernment and intentionality, using AI as a servant for God's glory rather than allowing it to become a master that reshapes our souls.
- Practical disciplines like digital sabbaths and embodied worship are crucial for counter-forming our hearts against the discipling power of technology.
What does the Bible say about spiritual formation?
The core of the Christian life is not just about believing the right things, but about becoming a certain kind of person. It's about being transformed into the image of Jesus. The Apostle Paul puts it this way:
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
> Romans 12:2
This process is what we call spiritual formation. It’s the lifelong journey of the Holy Spirit shaping our character, our habits, and most importantly, our loves. It’s about our affections being reordered to love what God loves and hate what he hates. True formation isn’t behavior modification; it’s heart renovation.
Augustine famously prayed, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” Spiritual formation is the process of that restless heart finding its home in God. This happens through the classic spiritual disciplines: prayer, Scripture meditation, fellowship, worship, service. These are the practices God uses to renew our minds and reshape our desires.
How is AI more than just a neutral tool?
It’s tempting to think of AI as just another tool, like a hammer or a spreadsheet. A hammer is passive; it waits for me to pick it up and has no opinion about what I build. But AI is different. The technologies we use every day, especially those driven by sophisticated algorithms, are not passive. They are active agents with built-in values.
Think about the values of the AI that powers your social media feed, your streaming service, or your news app. Its goals are almost always efficiency, personalization, and engagement. It wants to give you what you want, instantly, and keep you hooked. These aren't inherently evil values, but they are not the primary values of the kingdom of God.
The kingdom of God often values patience, not speed. It values community, not just personalization. It values sacrifice, not just satisfaction. As I've written before, AI is not neutral; our tools disciple us by subtly teaching us their own set of ethics and priorities, one notification and recommendation at a time.
In what ways does AI shape our daily habits?
The shaping power of AI happens through what some thinkers call “digital liturgies.” A liturgy is simply a repeated practice that forms our hearts. When we get up in the morning, is the first thing we reach for our Bible or our phone? That first action of the day is a small liturgy that directs our attention and our affection.
Scrolling through an algorithmically curated feed is a liturgy. Binge-watching a show recommended by Netflix is a liturgy. Asking Alexa or Siri for an instant answer is a liturgy. These practices train us. They teach us to expect immediate gratification, to prefer content tailored perfectly to our tastes, and to feel a low-grade anxiety when we’re not connected or stimulated.
Now, contrast that with the “liturgies” of Christian discipleship. Prayer is often slow and requires waiting. Reading Scripture can be difficult and confusing. Fellowship in a local church is messy because people are messy. These spiritual habits form virtues like patience, perseverance, humility, and love for others. The habits formed by our technology often work against these very virtues, making us more impatient, more individualistic, and more easily distractible.
How can AI's influence affect our love for God?
If our habits shape our hearts, then habits trained by AI can reshape what we love. If we are constantly fed a diet of instant, personalized, entertaining content, it can make the things of God feel… well, boring.
Reading a long, complex passage in Leviticus can feel tedious compared to watching a 30-second sermon clip on TikTok. Sitting through a clunky sermon from a faithful pastor who knows and loves you can feel less polished than listening to a world-famous speaker's podcast. The unfiltered mess of a small group prayer time can feel less efficient than journaling your thoughts into an app.
This is the primary danger: AI can foster a consumeristic approach to faith. It can train us to see the church, Scripture, and even God himself as products to be consumed for our personal benefit, rather than a King to be worshipped and a Body to be served. When our deepest habit is consumption, it becomes harder to practice the habit of self-giving love that is the hallmark of a follower of Jesus.
It can also reorient our posture from one of dependent seeking to demanding expectation. We learn to expect God to answer us as quickly as a search engine, forgetting that His ways are not our ways, and His timing is perfect. We risk loving the idea of an efficient, on-demand God more than the real, living God of the Bible who works in mysterious and often slow ways.
Can AI also positively contribute to spiritual formation?
Absolutely. The answer isn't to reject technology wholesale, but to use it with wisdom and intention. As someone who builds these tools at FaithGPT, this is the very reason our team exists. We believe AI can be a powerful servant, but it makes a terrible master. When we put AI in its proper place, it can genuinely support our spiritual growth.
For example, if you're in the middle of a busy workday and a question about a passage pops into your head, an AI Bible assistant can give you a quick, context-aware summary that you can circle back to later. If you struggle with forming a consistent prayer habit, a tool like our Prayer Journal can provide structure and reminders that help you build that spiritual muscle.
AI can help break down barriers to entry for Bible study. Tools that explain historical context or define Greek words can make Scripture feel more accessible. It can help a small group leader generate thoughtful discussion questions for a passage. The key is that the AI is used to facilitate a deeper engagement with God and His people, not to replace it.
We must always be asking: Is this tool driving me deeper into the Bible itself? Is it preparing me for better fellowship with my church family? Is it quieting my heart so I can hear from the Holy Spirit? If the answer is yes, then it's being used redemptively.
What does it look like to use AI with Christian wisdom?
Using AI wisely requires us to be active and discerning, not passive consumers. It means establishing new habits and disciplines that intentionally push back against the formational drift of technology. It’s about being proactive in our discipleship instead of reactive to the algorithm.
This involves setting clear boundaries and making conscious choices about how and when we engage with technology. The goal is to ensure our primary formation is coming from God's Word, God's Spirit, and God's people.
Here’s a practical comparison of what this can look like:
Intentional Practice · Unintentional Drift
Using AI to prepare for community discussion · Letting AI replace fellowship in the local church
Setting aside tech for dedicated prayer & Scripture · Checking notifications while trying to pray or read
Using AI as a study supplement to understand Scripture · Preferring AI summaries over reading the Bible itself
Asking God for wisdom before you search · Asking AI for answers before asking God
Actively curating feeds for edifying content · Passively consuming whatever the algorithm suggests
Practicing a weekly “digital sabbath” from screens · Staying connected 24/7 out of fear of missing out
Paul tells us to take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). In our age, that includes taking our clicks, our scrolls, and our queries captive for the glory of God.
How do we teach our children about AI and faith?
As a dad, this question is constantly on my mind. My wife and I aren't just trying to set screen time rules; we're trying to shape our kids' hearts. We know that the technology they use is actively discipling them, teaching them what to love and where to find their identity. This is one of the most pressing challenges for Christian parents navigating AI and faith.
The most important thing we can do is model a healthy relationship with technology ourselves. Our kids will learn more from watching us put our phones away at dinner than they will from any lecture we give. They need to see us delighting in God's Word more than we delight in our screens.
We also need to have open conversations. Ask them questions like: “How did that video make you feel?” “What does that app want from you?” “Where do we go for truth that lasts forever?” We need to teach them to be critical thinkers who can recognize the values embedded in their favorite games and apps.
Ultimately, we want to show them that the deepest, most lasting joy is found not in a personalized feed but in a personal relationship with their Creator. We do this by immersing them in the life of the church, reading the Bible with them, praying with them, and showing them the beauty of an embodied, real-world faith.
What are "digital liturgies" and how do they form us?
To really grasp AI's impact, it helps to expand on this idea of digital liturgies. In a church service, the liturgy (the order of service, the songs, the prayers, the sermon) is designed to orient our hearts toward God. It’s a formative pattern. As the hosts of The Gospel Coalition's Silicon Spiritualities podcast have explored, our technology has its own liturgies that orient our hearts toward different ends.
The liturgy of Instagram or TikTok is a fast-paced ritual of consumption, comparison, and performance. It forms in us a desire for novelty and a short attention span.
The liturgy of Amazon is a ritual of one-click convenience and instant acquisition. It forms in us an expectation of effortless satisfaction.
The liturgy of the 24/7 news cycle is a ritual of anxiety and outrage. It forms in us a sense of constant urgency and division.
These patterns shape us whether we realize it or not. They are powerful spiritual counter-formations. The antidote is not to retreat from the world, but to be more deeply formed by the life-giving liturgies of the faith: the daily liturgy of prayer and Scripture, and the weekly liturgy of gathering with the saints for corporate worship, hearing the Word preached, and partaking in the Lord's Supper. These practices re-narrate our world, reminding us of what is true, good, and beautiful, and reorienting our loves toward our Triune God.
Our task is to ensure the rhythms of our faith are more powerful and more formative than the rhythms of our devices. If you're looking for a starting point to use AI intentionally in your study, you can explore how tools on FaithGPT can help you reflect on Scripture and organize your prayers. The goal is always to use the tool to drive you deeper into a relationship with God, not to mediate it.
Frequently asked questions
Is it sinful to use AI for Bible study?
No, using a tool like AI for Bible study is not inherently sinful. The sinfulness comes from the posture of our hearts. If AI becomes a substitute for the Holy Spirit's guidance, a replacement for fellowship with other believers, or an excuse to avoid reading the Bible for ourselves, then it's being used improperly. When used as a supplemental tool to aid understanding and spark curiosity, it can be a wonderful asset.
How can I know if AI is negatively affecting my spiritual life?
Take an honest inventory of your heart and habits. Ask yourself: Am I more impatient with God, my family, and my church? Do I feel more disconnected from my local community? Is my prayer life shallower or more rushed? Has my time spent in deep, undistracted Bible reading decreased? These can be warning signs that the values of your technology are beginning to reshape your spiritual affections.
What's the difference between information and formation?
Information is the accumulation of data—facts, context, definitions, and theological points. AI is excellent at providing information. Formation, on the other hand, is the transformation of your character into the likeness of Christ. This is the work of the Holy Spirit, using information to renew your mind and reshape your heart through prayer, obedience, and life in the community of faith. Information is a component of formation, but it is not the thing itself.
Can AI help me pray?
AI can be a helpful tool to facilitate prayer. For example, it can help you organize your prayer requests, provide prompts based on Scripture, or remind you to pray, much like FaithGPT's Prayer Journal does. However, AI cannot pray for you or with you. Prayer is a relational act of communion between a person and God, which is something only the Holy Spirit can truly mediate.
How does the church counter the negative formation of technology?
The church counters technology's discipling power by majoring in what technology cannot offer: embodied presence. We gather physically to sing, pray, and hear the Word. We practice the sacraments of baptism and communion. We lay hands on the sick, share meals in our homes, and bear one another's burdens through face-to-face discipleship. These embodied, relational practices are God's chosen method for forming us into a people who love Him and one another.
Helpful Scripture resources
Contact & support
Email the FaithGPT team at hello@faithgpt.io or visit the contact page.
Explore FaithGPT
