When I was young, I was a yak herder. We moved from one place to another in the mountains. Carrying everything by ourselves was not wise, so I learned how to use the strength of the yaks.
At first, it was not easy. I made small sacks and placed different items on the animals. Sometimes the load was not balanced. Sometimes the rope tangled in trees. Sometimes things were lost on the way. I had to watch carefully, improve the carrier, adjust the load, and learn how each yak behaved.
Over time, I developed better methods. The loads became safer. Fewer things were lost. The journey became easier because I was no longer carrying everything myself. I had learned how to use the energy of the yak properly.
But training a yak was not only about giving commands. During the training process, the yak also began to understand my language, and I also began to understand the style of the yak. Different yaks worked differently. Some walked fast, some slowly. Some carried heavier loads, while others needed lighter loads. Some responded to a firm command, while others needed a calmer approach.
So I could not command every yak in exactly the same way. I had to learn their nature, their rhythm, and their behavior. Then I could guide each one more accurately.
Using ChatGPT is similar.
The computer will not automatically do good work just because we open it. Like a yak, it needs direction. Like a worker, it needs clear instruction. Like a student, it needs examples and correction. If we give unclear instructions, we may get poor results. If we give clear instructions, useful context, and a specific goal, ChatGPT can begin to work for us.
At the same time, we also begin to understand how ChatGPT works. We learn what kind of instruction produces a better answer. We learn how to give context. We learn how to correct the answer. We learn how to ask again in a better way. In this process, we are not only training the tool; we are also training ourselves to become better guides.
This is also similar to human resources. When we work with people, we do not simply shout orders. We explain the task, the purpose, the expected result, the deadline, and the standard. We use the right words and the right tone. We motivate, train, correct, and improve the system. Then people begin to work effectively.
ChatGPT works in a similar way. We need to learn how to “train” it through good prompts. A good prompt gives direction. A better prompt gives context, role, audience, goal, format, tone, and limits.
In the past, I learned how to use the strength of yaks. Later, I learned how to use computers. Today, I am learning how to use AI tools like ChatGPT. The principle is similar: do not carry every load yourself. Learn how to guide the tools, systems, and people God has placed around you.
A trained yak can carry loads across the mountains. A trained worker can carry responsibility in an organization. A well-prompted AI tool can carry part of our thinking, writing, planning, and organizing work.
But in all three cases, the leader must learn how to guide well.
So, how do we guide ChatGPT well? We begin with a clear prompt.
What Is a Good Prompt?
A prompt is the instruction we give to ChatGPT. A weak prompt gives very little direction. A strong prompt gives enough information for ChatGPT to understand what we need.
For example:
Weak prompt: “Make a lesson on mentoring.” This may produce something useful, but it may also be too general, too Western, too academic, too short, too long, or not suitable for your learners.
Stronger prompt: “Act as a church-based training curriculum designer. I am preparing a 90-minute workshop for small-group leaders in Asia. The audience includes pastors and volunteer leaders with different education levels. Create a practical lesson on mentoring using 2 Timothy 2:2. The goal is for each participant to identify one person they can mentor. Use simple English, include oral discussion, one group activity, one reflection question, and one 30-day action step. Keep it under 700 words.”
The second prompt is much better because it gives direction.
Good prompting is not magic. It is clear communication. If we want a better answer, we must learn to give better instructions.
A Simple Formula for Better Prompts
You can remember this formula:
Role + Context + Task + Audience + Goal + Source + Format + Tone + Limits
This formula does not mean every prompt must be very long. It means your prompt should give enough guidance so ChatGPT can produce a useful answer. Let us look at each part.
1. Role
Tell ChatGPT what role to take. Example: “Act as an experienced church-based training course writer.”
Other possible roles include:
- Bible teacher
- curriculum designer
- editor
- translator
- mentor
- training facilitator
- youth ministry trainer
- adult learning specialist
- policy advisor
- visual resource designer
When you give ChatGPT a role, you are helping it know what kind of thinking to use. A Bible teacher will answer differently from a graphic designer. A curriculum writer will answer differently from a social media editor.
2. Context
Explain the situation clearly. Example: “I am preparing a training session for church leaders in rural Nepal. Many learners prefer oral discussion more than reading long texts.”
Context is like telling the yak where the path is. Without context, ChatGPT may go in the wrong direction. It may give a good answer, but not the right answer for your situation. Useful context may include:
- Where you are working
- What kind of learners you have
- What problem you are trying to solve
- What language level is needed
- What cultural setting matters
- What has already been taught
3. Task
Say exactly what you want ChatGPT to do. Example: “Create a 45-minute lesson plan on mentoring new believers.”
Be clear about the action. Do you want ChatGPT to write, summarize, translate, simplify, compare, create questions, make a lesson plan, design a worksheet, check grammar, or give feedback? A clear task produces a clearer answer.
4. Audience
Describe who the material is for. Example: “The learners are volunteer small-group leaders with limited theological training.”
Audience matters. A lesson for seminary students will not be the same as a lesson for village church leaders. A message for parents will not be the same as a message for teenagers. A teacher training handout will not be the same as a Facebook post. Tell ChatGPT who will read, hear, or use the content.
5. Goal or Outcome
Tell ChatGPT what result you want. Example: “By the end, participants should be able to explain mentoring and choose one person to begin mentoring.”
This is very important for training and education. We should not only ask, “What content should I teach?” We should also ask, “What should people be able to do after this?” Good goals help ChatGPT prepare practical content, not just information.
6. Source Material
Provide the Bible passage, course text, notes, draft, or ideas you want ChatGPT to use. Example: “Use 2 Timothy 2:2 and the notes below.”
This helps protect your message. If you do not provide source material, ChatGPT may create general content. Sometimes that is fine, but for Bible teaching, training, policy, school work, or official communication, it is better to give the source. You can paste:
- Bible passages
- course notes
- meeting notes
- draft paragraphs
- government guidelines
- teacher training materials
- student answers
- your own rough ideas
Then ask ChatGPT to work from those materials.
7. Format
Specify the output format. Example: “Give the answer in this format: title, aim, opening question, teaching points, group activity, reflection, action step.”
Format is very helpful. Without format, ChatGPT may give a long essay when you need a table. Or it may give bullet points when you need a speech. You can ask for:
- a table
- a lesson plan
- a sermon outline
- a Facebook post
- a handout
- a checklist
- a report
- a letter
- a question bank
- a workshop schedule
- a script for a video
When you know the format, say it clearly.
8. Tone and Level
Tell ChatGPT the writing style. Example: “Use simple English, a warm tone, and practical examples suitable for adult learners.”
Tone matters because words affect people. If you are writing to teachers, the tone should be respectful. If you are writing to parents, the tone should be clear and caring. If you are writing to church leaders, the tone may need to be biblical, humble, and practical. You can say:
- Use simple English.
- Use Nepali-friendly English.
- Use a warm and respectful tone.
- Use a practical training style.
- Avoid academic language.
- Make it suitable for oral learners.
- Make it encouraging but honest.
9. Limits and Constraints
Tell ChatGPT what to avoid or protect. Example: “Do not use Western examples. Do not make the lesson too academic. Do not invent statistics. Keep the theology evangelical and Bible-centered.”
Limits are not negative. They are like ropes and carriers for the yak. They keep the load safe. Good limits may include:
- Keep it under 500 words.
- Use 3 to 5 sentences.
- Do not invent facts.
- Do not use complex theological terms.
- Do not make it too emotional.
- Avoid political language.
- Do not use examples that are not suitable for Nepal.
- Keep the content Bible-centered.
- Make it suitable for mixed education levels.
10. Ask for Interaction
Sometimes we should ask ChatGPT to clarify before answering. Example: “Ask me up to three questions before preparing the final lesson if anything is unclear.”
This is useful when the task is complex. A good worker asks questions before starting an important assignment. In the same way, ChatGPT can ask helpful questions before producing the final answer. You can write:
- “Before answering, ask me three clarifying questions.”
- “First, check if you understand my goal.”
- “Tell me what information is missing.”
- “Give me two possible approaches before writing the final version.”
11. Review and Improve
Do not accept the first answer blindly. Review it, correct it, and ask ChatGPT to improve it. Prompting works best as a conversation. You give an instruction, review the answer, then refine it. Useful follow-up prompts include:
- Make this simpler.
- Add more interaction.
- Adapt this for oral learners.
- Give me a stronger opening activity.
- Check for theological weakness.
- Rewrite this for Nepali church leaders.
- Make it shorter / warmer / more practical.
- Turn this into a handout.
- Turn this into discussion questions.
- Give me a version for teachers / for parents.
This is like adjusting the load on a yak. The first attempt may not be balanced. But with correction, the result becomes better.
Learn the Style of Each AI Tool
Just as different yaks behave differently, different AI tools also work differently.
ChatGPT may be strong in conversation, teaching, editing, planning, and creating structured content. Claude may be very helpful for long writing, website building, and careful organization. Other tools may be better for images, coding, video, or research.
So the wise user does not only ask, “Can AI do this?” The wise user asks:
- Which tool is best for this task?
- What kind of prompt works best with this tool?
- How much context does it need?
- Does it need examples? Does it need correction?
- Should I ask for a draft, outline, table, checklist, or final version?
This is like knowing your yaks. You do not treat every yak the same way. You learn how each one works, and then you guide it accordingly. In the same way, good AI use requires observation, practice, correction, and wisdom.
A Full Example Prompt
Here is one complete prompt using the formula:
“Act as a church-based training curriculum designer. I am preparing a 90-minute workshop for small-group leaders in Asia. The audience includes pastors and volunteer leaders with different education levels. Create a practical lesson on mentoring using 2 Timothy 2:2. The goal is for each participant to identify one person they can mentor. Use simple English, include oral discussion, one group activity, one reflection question, and one 30-day action step. Keep it under 700 words. Do not use Western examples. Keep the theology evangelical and Bible-centered.”
This prompt gives ChatGPT a clear role, context, task, audience, goal, source, format, tone, and limits.
Another Example for Teachers
“Act as an experienced primary school teacher trainer. I am preparing a 45-minute training session for Grade 3 teachers in Nepal. The teachers are learning how to use continuous assessment instead of only exam-based assessment. Create a simple training outline with an opening question, three teaching points, one group activity, one sample classroom observation checklist, and one reflection question. Use simple English and practical examples from Nepali classrooms. Keep it under 600 words.”
Another Example for Writing
“Act as a careful editor. I will paste a rough paragraph below. Please improve the grammar, make it clear, keep my meaning, and use a respectful tone. Do not make it too formal. After rewriting, give me three short suggestions to make the message stronger.”
Another Example for Translation
“Act as a Nepali-English translator. Translate the following Nepali paragraph into clear, natural English. Keep the emotional tone, but make the English easy to understand for international readers. Do not add new ideas.”
What ChatGPT Can Help With
When guided well, ChatGPT can help with many tasks:
- planning lessons
- writing training outlines
- editing messages
- summarizing notes
- creating discussion questions
- preparing Bible study guides
- designing teacher training materials
- generating parent letters
- simplifying difficult ideas
- translating and improving language
- creating social media drafts
- brainstorming book chapters
- preparing workshop activities
But ChatGPT should not replace wisdom, prayer, study, or human responsibility. It is a tool. The leader must still lead.
Important Caution
ChatGPT can make mistakes. It may sometimes sound confident even when it is wrong. Always review facts, names, dates, Bible references, theology, statistics, and official information.
For serious matters, check reliable sources. For Bible teaching, check the Scripture carefully. For school policy, check official documents. For publication, edit before posting.
A trained yak can still wander. A trained worker can still misunderstand. A trained AI tool can still produce errors. So the leader must watch, guide, correct, and take responsibility.
A Practical Note from My Own Experience
This blog post itself is an example of what I am writing about.
The draft was proofread and improved with the help of ChatGPT. The two images used for this post were also created and combined with ChatGPT. That image work took me about eight minutes. If I had tried to do the same thing manually in Photoshop, it could easily have taken me around two hours.
My website was built with the help of Claude. Preparing and publishing this blog post took me about fifteen minutes. If I had used only traditional tools, the same work would normally take much longer.
This does not mean AI did everything for me. I still had to provide the idea, the story, the direction, the correction, and the final judgment. But AI helped me carry part of the load. That is exactly the point of this article.
A trained yak helped me carry physical loads in the mountains. A trained computer helps me carry digital and creative loads today. A well-guided AI tool helps me write, edit, design, organize, and publish faster. The leader still needs wisdom. But the leader does not need to carry every load alone.
Final Thought
The goal of using ChatGPT is not laziness. The goal is stewardship.
When I was young, I learned not to carry every load on my own back. I learned how to use the strength of the yaks wisely. Later, I learned how to use computers. Now, we are learning how to use AI. The principle is the same: good tools require good guidance.
If we learn to give clear instructions, provide helpful context, set the right goals, and review the results carefully, ChatGPT can become a useful assistant for teaching, training, writing, ministry, and leadership.
Better prompts lead to better answers. Better answers can lead to better training. Better training can lead to better service.
Why I Wrote This Article
I wrote this article as part of my preparation for an AI presentation in Malaysia this coming October. I am preparing together with friends from Korea, China, and the UK. The final presentation is still being shaped, but our focus will likely be on how to use AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude effectively, especially for text, images, course writing, translation, adaptation, and responsible use.
I am also thinking of two older friends, Graham and Tim, who have encouraged me and helped me think more deeply about how AI can serve training, writing, translation, and ministry. This article is the first part of what I hope to discuss with my team. At this stage, I am thinking of the training in these parts:
- Part 1: Using ChatGPT Efficiently — How to write better prompts, give clear context, ask for the right format, and improve answers through follow-up.
- Part 2: Using AI for Course Writing — How AI can help prepare lessons, outlines, discussion questions, activities, reflection questions, and action steps.
- Part 3: AI for Translation and Adaptation — How AI can help translate, simplify, contextualize, and adapt training materials for different cultures, languages, and education levels.
- Part 4: Responsible AI Use — How to use AI wisely, ethically, and carefully without blindly trusting everything it produces.
- Part 5: AI for Images and Visual Learning — How AI can help create teaching images, blog banners, illustrations, and visual resources for learners who understand better through pictures.
- Part 6: PDF Compression — How to reduce file sizes so training materials can be shared more easily by email, WhatsApp, websites, or learning platforms.
- Part 7: File Renaming — How organized file names save time and reduce confusion, especially when many people are working on training materials.
- Part 8: Folder Organization — How to build a simple folder system so images, PDFs, drafts, final versions, and source files are easy to find.
- Part 9: Using Claude or ChatGPT for Website Building — How AI can help build simple websites for courses, blogs, questionnaires, resources, and training materials.
- Part 10: 30-Day Action Plan — How participants can begin using AI step by step after the training, instead of only listening to a presentation.
What excites me most is not that AI can do everything for us. What excites me is that AI can help ordinary trainers, teachers, pastors, writers, and course developers carry work that used to take much longer. If we learn to guide these tools well, we can create, translate, adapt, organize, and publish more effectively for the service of others.