I thought it might be a good idea to do a web search using the terms EFT and Christian, and came across this article on the Mercola.com web site, but it's by a man named Larry Nims who offers something called BSFF (Be Set Free Fast), which is an offshoot of EFT. I think I have Larry's manual somewhere, I'll have to dig it up and take another look at it. I prefer the physical tapping, it works best for me. Though sometimes my fingers hurt and I firmly rub the tapping points rather than tap, it works that way too. In a pinch I'll do imaginary tapping which is almost as good. I'm getting off on a tangent -- back to this article.
He writes: "As such, I have no problems with any treatments that involve the use of the subconscious mind (in the form of EFT, BSFF, hypnotherapy, medicine, chiropractic and many other practices that are dedicated to helping people).I don't completely agree with him, see my other post about psychology. I particularly would be very cautious about hypnotherapy (aka hypnosis), unless you really know and trust the hypnotist. One of the 'fruits of the spirit' is self-control -- and with hypnosis you're basically handing that control over to the hypnotist. Here's something he says that I agree with completely, at least in regard to my use of EFT:When ethical, experienced, conscientious and skilled professionals who are working in their areas of expertise apply any method, God can and does use them "for good to those that are the called, according to His purpose."
He then goes on to discuss the devil's programming in our subconscious. It's a good article, check it out."They can also remove subconscious blocks to "fervent and effectual prayer," to knowing God, hearing from and obeying God, and being fully available to God. These blocks, I believe, are programmed into us from birth by "the prince of the power of the air" (Satan)who holds sway over our cultures and our world." and "This includes removing the strongholds and bondages that the enemy has set up in our conscious and subconscious minds, our emotions, our bodies, and our spirits. That is what Energy Psychology therapies helps us to do, and what it teaches people to do for themselves.
EFT and BSFF does not make anyone do anything new or different. It simply sets them free to have a true choice about things that previously have been operating on "automatic pilot" under the control of their subconscious mind. In other words, they are freer to hear from and to follow God's leading in their life."
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39 comments:
I was so happy to see the article from Dr. Nims and your blog. So often well-meaning Christians quickly dismiss techniques under the premise that they are "new agey" without doing their due diligence. There is nothing inherently "religious" or ritual bound about EFT and I was glad to see this explanation. EFT is a wonderful tool. There's another derivative -- Emotional Freedom & Healing, that does include God and I have used it often.
Hi Paula, thanks for your comment. After your mention of Emotional Freedom & Healing, I did a search since I'd never heard of it before. And, imho -- it's not something a Christian wants to use. One of his offerings is: Higher Guidance Sessions
During our Higher Guidance sessions you will receive answers to your questions and concerns directly through Spirit and Angels. Some describe this process as ‘channeling’ though I believe we have a Divine connection with Spirit, where the answers to all subjects and concerns are always available to us.
He says 'some describe this process as 'channeling' and he's right -- though he wants to reword it to make it sound better. Of course what I call it is 'talking to demon spirits'. Discernment is so important.
Cia,
You have to be big enough to eat the fish and take the bones out.
Christ is my savior, and I use EFT. Paul told us to lay down every weight that besets us. EFT is simply a clearing technique - like a reset button for negative emotions and experiences. I have found that EFT has actually brought me closer to God and helps with clearing faulty beliefs and negativity out of my heart so that it is filled with more love and understanding. I actually came about it for the first time by hearing it through the Holy Spirit. EFT has its place in the Christian community, but it has its place. Christ is still our savior. If you are interested in learning more about eft and to get a free eftjournal right now, go to: www.eftjournal.com
I think it would be worth your time.
T. Carroll
Hi T. Carroll,
thanks for stopping by, and for the info on your website. I notice on your website there's a link to a yahoo group (which I'll probably join in a moment!), but I also wanted to let you and others know there's also a yahoo group for Christian EFT Practitioners. I'll take a look at your journal too. Thanks again. -cmw
Hi - I realize this is a very late post, but I am a Christian who used EFT and BSFF extensively, for many years. I seemed to get some freedom emotionally by using the EFT, but then I thought I was worse off than before I started. I have since gone through an intense period of time of repentance before the Lord for "any and all things I have done, or not done, to grieve You and the Holy Spirit." What has come out of this is a much closer walk with God, great peace, answers to prayers as never before - and a conviction that Christians are being deceived by many supernatural manifestations in churches, and a deception about the role of evil spirits in seemingly helpful modalities such as EFT. Gary Craig has apparently had out-of-body experiences. These things are, I know believe, occult things. If you go to this site
http://emotionalfreedom.com/site/personal-sessions/spiritual-divine-guidance-sessions/ - you will see that this man clearly talks about spirit guides and channeling in regard to "divine guidance sessions." I am thankful that the Lord has delivered me from the wicked things I was involved in. Please do not be offended by my post, but seek God earnestly (as I did) and ask for His wisdom about these things - before you end up worse off than before you started. In His Love, C-
Thank you "C" for your above post. I too was concerned with Gary Craig's minister position with the Universal Church of God. I googled it and found it believe all religions point to God. Which is New Age thinking. And there are lots of posts on the net for EFT and Christians. But when you really dig into them, most doen't post personal information. Even this blog hasn't talked about it since 2008. Hopefully our comments will help others.
Hi 'C' and anonymous,
Thanks for your comments. I have to admit that BSFF didn't do much for me, and it is true that many EFT practitioners also believe in and perhaps offer other things that would be considered 'new age'. I don't practice any of those things. I do have an article on here about my limited and brief experience with reiki.
And about Gary Craig, we haven't heard much at all from him in about a year or so, but as I told someone in response to an email I received: I've been praying for his salvation. It would be great if you'd join me in that prayer.
Lastly, I really did struggle with and pray about this for years and I am finally clear that EFT is ok with God. Other things people may add may be a different story. If you have other convictions, that's fine.
I appreciate you sharing some of your experience, and I agree there are some things that are certainly spiritually dangerous being embraced by some in the church (such as yoga), I don't think EFT belongs in that category but ymmv.
C- Please also see my comment to Paula on June 8 2008 about 'guidance sessions', it's not something I would advocate to anyone.
I am a christian and heard about EFT about 4 yrs ago. I read about it and deicided it sounded like a therapy that I could use and about using our bodies and minds in a way that helps the healing process. I beleive God created us in a wonderufl way and if meridian Lines of energy were real that God intended us to use them to help healing. I did some training in EFT and had some sceptical thoughts. However I think the negative uncertainty i have is because so many EFT practitioners if not christians do use other therapies that i would clearly not be comfortable with and also they put the emphasis of healing on the person or the technique and not on God. Some people i have spoken to have reservations about EFT as something God may not agree with...link to eastern medicien and practices etc. I really dont know at the moment...but if i tap on myself for head aches or anxeity etc it works! I want to practice EFT on one hand but be confident its something God wants me to do. I need to seek his Will on this...He knows me and He knows my dilema and my confusion and I know He -God( not the influence of people with conflicting views)will show me the right way to proceed if i seek Him openly and honestly.
anita, thanks for the comment. I very much agree with what you said at the end about God showing you the right way to proceed if you seek Him.
I have actually had a couple of times where people sent me an email and scheduled time to talk on the phone to discuss using EFT, but before the appointment God revealed to them that it was ok to use. In some respects it may be a personal thing and there's another tool that would be better suited to them or their issue(s).
And of course some of the deepest healing I've had comes straight from Jesus and His Word to my heart. EFT may facilitate removing some of the barriers but it doesn't replace what He alone can do.
I've been wrestling with this question as well. I'm a Christian, and due to my particular background, I tend to be hyper-aware about anything that seems a good healing method but may not be of God. However, I believe He directed my thinking to 1 Corinthians 10:23-33 (eating meat previously offered to idols). This was a real dilemma for early Christians, but Paul pointed out there was nothing wrong with eating it later (ie. NOT during the actual ritual!), as long as they blessed it in the Lord's name first. The only reason Paul gave for not using this freedom was in order to avoid confusing less well-instructed Christians. I hope this helps.
My boyfriend started using EFT and at first it calmed his nerves. A year later he was diagnosed with phsycosis, he remembers doing it one night and remembers the voice on God, going "Nooo". It bad news people, jesus is the only one who heals!
In February of 2011 I left a comment saying that I had serious reservations about using EFT as a Christian ... now I have recently felt convicted by the Lord to post again! After much prayer and searching of the Bible, I felt led to start using EFT and also BSFF again because of some urgent matters. I found that by praying along with the EFT and focusing on Jesus as my healer, I could get relief quickly from a number of emotional and physicial problems! I want to apologize for discouraging anyone from using EFT by my earlier post, as I now do believe that God can use anything to heal us. Just because some combine EFT with occult practices does not mean that it is of the devil. I actually discovered that my fear of EFT was rooted in my sister's insistence that it was of satan, and as soon as I cleared that unbelief out of my system, I began to have not just relief of troubling symptoms, but also a more clearheaded understanding of the loving nature of God! God bless all who read this, C-
I do not believe that any use of EFT is appropriate for the Christian. Remember, Satan himself appears as an angel of light and his ministers appear as ministers of light. (I Corinthians 11:14).
The Bible states that the word of God is able to save (i.e. heal) our souls. James 1:21 states, "Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."
The Greek word for "save" in this passage is "sozo", which also means "deliver, protect, heal, preserve,be (make) whole".
The mind, will and emotions comprise the human soul and the implanted word of God will save, deliver, heal, make whole that very soul.
Also, Ephesians 5:26 states that Christ sanctifies and cleanses the church with the washing of water by the word.
Just because something is spiritual does not mean it is of God. Remember, the AntiChrist will come and deceive many during the tribulation so that, if it were possible, even the elect could be deceived. (Mark 13:22)
I urge anyone considering EFT to bathe themselves in prayer and saturate themselves with the word of God. I believe the word of God and the Spirit of God are sufficient to free us of any bondage without the use of any New Age technique.
I have unknowingly submitted myself to new age techniques before and ended up in worse shape than before I went.
Also, you don't want to open yourself up to any occult influences.
There is no occult movement whatsoever to Emotional Freedom Technique and Christian beliefs. Please, you haven't done your homework if you associate the 2. I've been doing this technique for over a year now. I have attended multiple trainings from EFTUniverse.com and no one even brings up "religion", let alone Christianity in the training! Anyone interested in seeing how a real EFT session goes using Jesus, God, and forgiveness can contact me & I will glady email you a case I wrote up where I helped a gal with the horrible guilt she had from an abortion 40+ years ago. I drilled in her, once I specifically asked her if she had asked for forgiveness for the abortion, that Jesus died on the cross and He forgave her of that sin. She cried her heart out during the session. It was a wonderful classic EFT session.
This is a tool God has given all of us, particularly we Christians, as we have the entire picture of emotional healing & forgiveness as preached through Holy Scriptures.
Before you judge EFT, do your homework please. Most of EFT is brand new within the past decade neuroscience, not occult or new age (although a non-believer could drag it there, if so desired!)!
In Service to the King of Kings!
Sherrie
I too am a Christian and have been using EFT and at times struggled whether God was ok with it. One thing that has always concerned me is that on many of these sites that advocate EFT and Christianity, there are also many other Pagan systems and beliefs offerred. If your a Christian who is aware of them you might be ok and aware of the deciete in these, but what about non Christians, they could fall right into these pagan and often occult ideas. Many of them seem to go under the umbrella of love, Spirtituality, a God of the Universe NOT a personal God. I know NOW that this is the Spiritual warfare that the bible is talking about and God Showed me that it is definitely not from him.
Unfortunately it took me finding the statement" I deeply love and completely accept myself" on a wicca website. Yes that is right it is a ritual used with the tapping here is the sitehttp://www.wicca-spirituality.com/free-daily-affirmations.html
If you must use EFT use the following God deeply loves me and I am only acceptable to him through Christ Jesus death on the cross. I feel sad that it has taken so long for me to see this. Praise God I am forgiven. For another interesting article from someone who was in the new age movment of healing etc google
Pillipe Besnard and Spiritual Warfare - Revelation of a New-Age Deceiption. You can down load the ebook. Please pass this on
Hi Chezsetfree,
Thanks for the comment. You ended up leaving 3 identical comments, so I removed 2 of them, just in case you wondered.
I changed the EFT affirmation a bit myself, in that I don't say it 3 times, and try to tie something scriptural into it, such as 'even though I feel fearful, God's word tells me He hasn't given me a spirit of fear so this is not of Him...' or something similar.
I am also beginning to discover that sometimes (frequently?) our diet can affect our emotions, but that's a whole other topic in some respects.
Came across your article and was wondering if you still use EFT and if you have any new or different thoughts on it.
I struggled with the issue til I realized that speaking scriptures for years as positive affirmations involved my soul( mind realm) and my spirit but ignored the body.
Our body registers pain of any kind including emotional pain as physical....it has no ability to register it differently. I'm not speaking about memories but the actual physical events that take place chemically and cellularly.
I use scriptural affirmations and tapping to involve my body in the process now along with the spirit and soul. I believe it is my whole being participating. It is appropriate since the whole being is affected by trauma, pain,sin, etc whether emotional or physical. Anyhow it has helped me to forgive myself and realease others I've held in unforgiveness. I believe it has opened my heart to God in areas I have before clutched tightly to myself and it is just simply a tool...oh and I have a spirit guide...The Holy Spirit who will lead and guide me into all truth. John 14:17 and John 16:13. Jesus is my Lord and Saviour. Through Him all things were created including the spirit, soul and body.
Thanks for your post.
Diana, thanks for stopping by. Yes, I do still use EFT. In relation to using it as a tool in general for emotional issues and for spiritual warfare, I don't really have any different thoughts on it. I'm glad you shared your experience with it.
I have also come to believe that our diet and related items such as nutrition can also have quite an impact on our emotional state. I have been eating gluten-free for a year now, and really wish I'd have done that years ago.
I may just have to do a new blog post about it.
I have just recently come across to FT myself as well, and as a Christian I have really been praying about this. I have recently begun a new ministry as a health coach, and having our minds and hearts clear and free is a huge part of being a whole person. So I have begun it on myself, and yes, I have changed the words to make it more like a prayer along with the affirmations. I say things like I accept myself in Christ, Who is the wisdom of God, and I invite the Holy Spirit to come into my physical body and release and Heal me And then in the final tapping session I will say that I am free in the name of Christ, I am no longer fearful because I am an over comer in Christ… Things like that. I believe it has provided some clearing and healing. The interesting part is I think that it has come at a time in my life when I really needed a tool like this to help people, and I believe that the Holy Spirit seems to be Leading me. It seems to be consistent with the science of the brain, and how we are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Sorry, that's EFT.... My typing left it out :)
I know this is an old post, but what you are all missing is this: Forget the Chinese meridians and how it relates to Emotional Freedom Techniques and focus on the biology of how it actually works! It, in fact, has nothing to do with Chinese religion or medicine, but everything to do with how God created us with our cellular receptors and neuropeptides. I'm a Christian EFT practitioner and I focus on God's forgiveness as the "tapping", or needleless acupuncture is done. If any of you have been to a doctor lately for treatment, it is no different than going to a EFT coach to deal with the stressors of life while focusing on God's grace. Go pick up a copy of Dr Candace Pert's books. It will explain the physiology behind why EFT works! Dump the Chinese and bring on the western science!Blessed Easter to you all. He is Risen!
Hi all,
Check out these 3 websites please
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmxsHG9CFSWot3rDZac2rSw/videos
http://eftforchristian.blogspot.com/
http://eftforchristians.com/
I, too, am a Christian EFT practitioner and I'm here to assure you all that once you eliminate all your emotional baggage, you will find your spiritual life with your Savior blow wide open! The mind chatter stops and the praying begins. It is an amazing process. I encourage all of you to do research on EFT and begin using it. It is a tool God put in our physiology for healing.
A full manual of how to do it is found on EFTUniverse.com or use the direct link: http://eftuniverse.com/index.php?option=com_acymailing&view=user&layout=modify&Itemid=5
God is so good!
After using EfT for many years myself and then working as a practitioner it became clear to me that it was not for me to contine. I believe it is a delusion for a wicked generation with itchy ears wanting to hear what they want to hear. Jesus Christ has all we need for life and freedom and healing for the mind - sadly in my view this is not believed or practised by many in the church making EFT very attractive for any hurting or damaged Christian - like me when I first started. It is effective but I cannot in conscience continue to use it and prefer to believe in my Lord.
I believe you should obey what you believe to be the truth in all things. In reference to EFT, I believe it was an answer to my desperate prayer for some way to help children who live in emotionally abusive homes. They experience new emotional wounds daily. I have used it with and taught it to chidren so that they have a tool, a means, with which they can release those hurts and emotional wounds as they occur, rather than bringing them with them as emotional baggage into adulthood. God designed our bodies with this marvellous system of life energy flowing through them. Clearing a block in the channel is comparable to clearing a blockage in the arteries. There is nothing new age or demonic about it, although a new ager or someone in the occult may also use the technique. Such people may also use the Bible and prayer -- yet we don' think that means we must then consider the Bible as being demonic or new age. Nevertheless, if your conscience says don't use EFT , then by all means , don't use it.
Amen, Syandra! EFT is not demonic or of the occult! It is based in the physiology as God created us! It is His idea! Sherrie Rice Smith @ eftforchristians.com
Does anyone have any scriptural backing that this is a godly practice because I would think, if he wanted us to use this or know this He would have told us in his word. Everyone here also says "christian" and "god" but no one mentions Jesus. Are we even on the same page as each other? I am in ministry and these practices leave you vulnerable to the demonic and seperate from God, Jesus Christ and His church. I'd love to hear something other than just discernment and feeling because you are putting yourself at risk and following doctrines of demons.
Did Jesus ever preach about taking an antibiotic? I don't believe that to be mentioned in the Bible. How about needing an appendectomy? Would you forgo one because Jesus never preached that? Cancer therapy? How about vitamins?
EFT, if you are willing to research it, is completely, and I mean completely explainable by God's created physiology. God the Father is the one who implanted in our cellular receptors, neuropeptides, neurotransmitters, hormones, DNA, RNA, and on and on. Emotional Freedom Techniques, for one, is based completely on these anatomical parts, as created by God the Father. ONe of the differences between Christian EFT and plain ole regular EFT is as Christians we give Jesus the glory for healing us. We ourselves do NOT take credit, anymore than we would take credit for healing ourselves by taking an antibiotic, or should a doctor take credit for that healing. For any of you knows history, do you remember the story of Galileo? Galileo was the first to tout that the earth revolved around the sun, right? What was the Church's response? They denied the "science" for centuries later until they no longer could protest the FACTS!
Be careful here how you refute any of this "new" science things without indepth and non-prejudiced research. This science is only about 2 decades old. Textbooks aren't up to date yet.
My best advice as a Christian EFT practitioner is too understand thoroughly what you are talking about prior to dismissing something "new".
We are all responsible for what we believe and what we reject. The Holy Spirit can make things very plain.
To anonymous who left a comment today (25 Jan 2015): If you visit my website you'll find my statement of faith. In short, I do believe Jesus is the Son of the living God, and that he died and rose again on the third day. I believe in Him as my Savior.
In regards to EFT, have you prayed about it? What I've found in the several years since I started this blog, is that those that pray about it are told that it's OK. Then there are others that have a knee-jerk reaction, and claim it's demonic, etc.
Then again, as I've said before, it's not for everyone. It's a tool that can be useful for many things, but not everything.
This is a good article to refer too. http://www.cwgministries.org/emotional-freedom-technique-eft-effective-and-biblical.
That is a good article! Thank you!
Another good resource is this book: http://www.amazon.com/EFT-Christians-Eft-Emotional-Techniques/dp/1604152516/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_til?tag=effoch06-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=AYBWCE24J4ZF33GE&creativeASIN=1604152516
Thanks for the new links / resources! There is a LOT of info. on the cwg link, and Sherrie I'm buying a copy of your book right now.
Thank you! Please, if you would, leave a review on Amazon for the book when you finish! Blessings in Christ!
Supposedly, a comment was left here yesterday by some one who quit using EFT because they found they had to tap 10-12 times a day.
It appears that whoever that was has little understanding of the immense amount of new neuroscience research. Feel free not to use EFT, but be careful in advising others. If EFT is God's invention based on the way He created us, and you advise against it, you may be dismissing the Lord Jesus' healing modality. That can get you in REAL spiritual trouble.It's called blasphemy!
If one suffers from anxiousness to the point where it feels nearly debilitating, my guess based on research is you have MANY different triggers, meaning the anxiousness is coming from multiple directions. It isn't that the tapping isn't working, it is because you have awakened in your neural circuits all kinds of distressing issues or memories.
Our Lord heals in many different ways. If prayer works for you, praise God. Don't heap guilt on those, for whatever reason, who need prayer + tapping to remove the internal damage from their physiology, anymore than you would judge those who take an antibiotic + prayer.
To do so is judgmental and possibly destructive to your brethren in Christ.
In the name of our Lord Jesus, our Healer, blessings!
Sherrie
This is such a nice post that it helped me a lot in relieving stress. Joelle's practice is the most leading EFT coaching practice provider that you get a lot of benefits from this. Thank you author for making me more clear in these things.
I recently went to a nutritionist who had me do tapping. She has had me on a diet for a month and I have lost no weight at all, and she suggested another tapping session and a 3 day fasting retreat where I get to eat nothing at a cost of 600 euros. Now I kind of told her she was just after money and we gave fallen out. I feel so much better. Like I was under her control and now I am free of her. She charged me double for supplements I can buy online. As Christians we must be aware of the demons transmitted from these people. I guess it's ok to do it to yourself before the Lord, but why not just pray and beleive you are getting healed.
Remember Led Zeppelin's song Stairway to Heaven? After my bad experience with EFT tapping for two years, I think I know what that song is all about. The Lady finds the stores in heaven closed, but "With a word she can get what she came for." Psychotherapy promises self-esteem for free, without working for it, including EFT and EMDR. Also, in therapy the focus is in the mind, or childhood trauma theories. It's all about "analyzing, thinking, and introspection." In my opinion that's why many people don't get any benefits from therapy or tapping. You can't "think yourself into feeling better." Anyway, I could have sworn that I was under "light demonic attack" when I tapped. I'm surprised there aren't more Christians criticizing EFT. If it walks like the occult, and quacks like the occult...
Not here to “argue”!
You, sadly, miss the entire gignomous
Let me try this again! Can’t see how to edit the first comment!
You, sadly, are missing the entire HUGE gigantic piece of God’s created physiology!
Your post, and I’m not going to argue with you, discredits, discounts, negates, denies how the Lord God created our bodies to deal with trauma! Can you say hormones, neuro peptides, neurotransmitters, limbic system, Vagus nerve, hippocampus, amygdala, adrenaline, cortisol, adrenal glands? It’s all tied up in EFT tapping!
Obviously, you know nothing of brain science and neurobiology!
Have you considered the reason you had a “light demonic attack” had nothing to do with satan but it was YOUR own emotional reaction to YOUR own personal trauma because for once in your life you actually felt or allowed yourself to feel an emotional response to it.
I’m sad for you! You prejudice is holding you back from the healing God is waiting to give you! Do your science research before making inaccurate misleading statements! God will hold YOU responsible for all those who believe you, not God’s created science, and never get healed on this earth!
I’d be very, very, very careful! Very!
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