My sister has gotten really into energy healing lately, the kind where you channel “universal life force” through your hands. She keeps asking if she can try it on me and I’ve been kind of dodging the question. Is getting Reiki performed a sin?
I want to support what she’s into, but something in me keeps hesitating. Spiritually hesitating, if that makes sense. Probably need to actually sit down and look at what Scripture says about this stuff before I give her a real answer. The family part is what makes it hard. Don’t want to hurt the relationship but also don’t want to go along with something that might actually cross a line.
You don’t have to pray alone. Have your prayer submitted to the Holy Land as well as churches, monasteries, and prayer groups worldwide who will lift your intentions to God and pray on your behalf.
From the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem to sacred sites across the globe, your prayer will be shared and remembered.
Hey good day, first of all the fact that your feeling hesitant to do it is a sign by itself. We have legal access to The Father and Spiritual things/gifts THROUGH Jesus Christ as He is The Way, The Truth and The Life. Anything that offers to do something for you spiritually (like healing when in fact Jesus is the one who heals you) It is wrong and should not be done. Doing these things outside of God are by the power of different spirits which can eventually turn into something way darker (like sleep paralysis and evil visions) because you let those things into your house
I’d skip the Reiki entirely - those spiritual doorways aren’t worth opening. The risk vs the reward just is not in your favor.
What if you invited her to come pray for people with you instead? There’s something powerful about watching someone get healed in Jesus’ name right in front of you. Might show her where real healing comes from without making it feel like you’re rejecting her.
Being transparent about what you believe is probably the move here.
There’s something in the New Testament, maybe Romans or one of the Corinthians letters, about avoiding things if you or someone around you doesn’t have a clear conscience toward it. Choosing to do something that could cause someone to act against God or their conscience is just unloving.
Not sure exactly how that plays out with your sister, but that’s the principle I’d be thinking through.
Something about channeling ‘universal life force’ just doesn’t sit right when we’re called to put God alone first (that whole first commandment thing).
Your hesitation might actually be the Holy Spirit giving you a nudge. The family dynamics make it tricky, but your spiritual instincts seem to be pointing you in the right direction here.
In Christianity, spiritual practices involving energy work, like Reiki… raise some concerns. Scripture advises believers to be careful about activities that may not line up with Christian teaching or that might involve spiritual influences outside of Christ.
The Bible warns against practices that may connect believers with other spiritual beliefs or forces that aren’t under Jesus’s lordship. A verse often cited here is 2 Corinthians 6:14, which tells believers not to be ‘unequally yoked’ with non-believers, questioning how righteousness can line up with unrighteousness, or light with darkness.
Being ‘unequally yoked’ goes beyond relationships to include partnerships or activities that might go against your faith. This includes spiritual practices not rooted in Christian teaching.
What if you just told her the truth in a nice way? Something like ‘hey I love you but this makes me feel weird spiritually.’ Sisters are usually pretty good at understanding that kind of stuff when you say it gently.
Maybe ask your sister what she personally believes about where this energy actually comes from. Her answer might help you both understand where each other stands, and it could open up a real conversation instead of just giving her a yes or no.
I’ve been thinking about this kind of thing a lot lately. There’s this gut check I keep coming back to - if something operates in the spiritual area but isn’t rooted in God, that’s where I draw my line.
It’s hard when family’s involved. But that hesitation you’re feeling might be worth paying attention to.
I have seen websites try to specifically target Christians to sell them Reiki products in the past, but there is nothing in the Bible to support this idea at all. This video is a great warning to Christians about the dangers of it.
You’d be actively choosing to participate if you said yes - that’s different from accidentally stumbling into something.
I’d suggest being honest with your sister about your hesitation rather than just dodging. The relationship matters, but so does honoring that spiritual check you’re feeling.
This is such an important point. The distinction here isn’t just about the physical act of someone placing hands on you - it’s about where the spiritual authority is coming from. Reiki practitioners openly acknowledge they’re channeling energy from a source outside of Christ. That’s the core issue.
I’ve been walking with the Lord long enough to know that not everyone in our faith community sees these things the same way. Some will tell you it’s off limits. Others won’t bat an eye.
What I’d encourage you to do is what you’re already doing - take it to prayer, look at Scripture, and let the Holy Spirit guide your own discernment here.
The way I see it, the real freedom here comes from understanding that salvation through Jesus Christ is already complete - paid in full! God loved us enough to come in the flesh and die for us. That’s the foundation everything else gets measured against.
So when you’re figuring out whether to let your sister practice on you, maybe start from that place of security in what Christ already did. Your soul is saved, you’re delivered from sin - that’s settled. From that confidence, you can think more clearly about stuff like this without fear driving the decision.
Something worth looking into is where Reiki comes from - Mikao Usui developed it in 1920s Japan, drawing from Buddhist and Shinto spiritual practices. It has specific roots in non-Christian spirituality.
Knowing the actual origin might help you articulate your hesitation to your sister in a way that’s about theology rather than seeming like personal rejection (which is probably what you’re worried about anyway).
