In August 2025, we published the summer issue of our ChinaSource Journal. The topic was artificial intelligence (AI) under the title Where Wisdom Meets Faith: The Chinese Church’s Response. It was guest-edited by Dr. James Hwang, a pastor-theologian and former NASA scientist. Since I don’t have a scientific or technical bone in my body, I had to read the issue—very slowly and more than once—to understand it. Perhaps some of you can relate!
What was easy to understand, however, is that AI is here to stay and that its potential impact is immense. As Christians, we need divine wisdom to meet both the opportunities and challenges presented by the rapid growth and spread of AI.
With that in mind, I want to highlight how we can use this issue of the ChinaSource Journal as a guide for prayer–for ourselves and for our churches, whether in China or abroad. Here are five prayer points:
- Pray that we will move beyond seeing AI as a simplistic binary of threat versus opportunity, asking for wisdom to discern the difference and for the willingness to leverage this new technology for the glory of God.
- Pray that we will not use AI to promote social dislocation and division, but to promote connection, understanding, and unity.
- Pray that we will see AI as part of the stewardship of our intellect as we look for ways it can help strengthen, not weaken, our thinking skills.
- Every generation has had to contend with disruptive technologies. As church and organization leaders, pray that we will not be afraid of AI, but will be open to seeing what new thing God is doing in our time.
- Pray that we will humbly adopt responsible, ethical, and theologically sound uses of AI to see the Great Commission fulfilled in our own generation.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” (James 1:5)
