Are Splankna and Centering Prayer Biblical?
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Many Christians today are asking important questions about practices like:
- Splankna Therapy
- Centering Prayer
- contemplative prayer
- soaking prayer
- and energy healing techniques
Are these practices biblical?
Or are they rooted in beliefs that conflict with Scripture?
As New Age ideas increasingly make their way into churches, counseling ministries, and Christian conversations, believers need wisdom and discernment grounded in God’s Word.
In this post, we’ll look at:
✔ What Splankna is
✔ What Centering Prayer teaches
✔ Why many Christians have concerns about these practices
✔ What Scripture says about mixing spiritual practices with biblical worship
What Is Splankna Therapy?
Splankna Therapy was developed by Christian counselor Sarah Thiessen and combines various alternative therapeutic techniques, including:
- energy healing concepts
- Thought Field Therapy
- Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)
- Neuro-Emotional Techniques
The goal of Splankna is emotional healing through methods connected to energy-based therapy models.
Supporters describe it as a Christianized approach to emotional healing.
However, many Christians raise concerns because several of the underlying techniques originate from non-Christian spiritual frameworks and energy-healing philosophies.
What Is Centering Prayer?
Centering Prayer—sometimes called contemplative prayer or soaking prayer—is a meditation-based prayer practice associated with contemplative spirituality and mysticism.
Typically, practitioners:
- sit silently
- focus on a repeated word or phrase
- attempt to quiet the mind
- and seek a deeper spiritual awareness or experience
Critics of Centering Prayer argue that these methods resemble Eastern meditation practices more than biblical models of prayer.
Why Some Christians Are Concerned
The primary concern many Christians have is not simply relaxation, silence, or reflection.
The concern is whether spiritual practices rooted in non-Christian philosophies should be adapted into Christian worship or counseling.
Several passages in Scripture warn believers against blending pagan spiritual practices with worship of God.
One frequently referenced passage is Deuteronomy 12:29–32, where God warned Israel not to imitate the spiritual practices of surrounding nations.
When the LORD your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess… take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them… that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?… You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way…
The concern is this:
Can practices rooted in non-biblical spirituality be “Christianized,” or does incorporating them create spiritual confusion?
Does the Bible Support Energy Healing Practices?
This is where many Christians draw a distinction.
Scripture clearly teaches:
- prayer
- repentance
- the work of the Holy Spirit
- biblical counseling
- renewal of the mind
- and the healing power of God
However, the Bible does not describe:
- chakra systems
- energy manipulation
- tapping techniques
- or spiritual energy fields as methods of healing
For Christians who hold to biblical sufficiency, this raises serious concerns about practices connected to energy-healing philosophies.
Is Centering Prayer the Same as Biblical Meditation?
Biblical meditation and contemplative meditation are not identical.
Biblical meditation involves:
✔ actively thinking on God’s Word
✔ reflecting on Scripture
✔ filling the mind with truth
Psalm 1 describes meditation as delighting in and meditating on God’s law day and night.
By contrast, many contemplative prayer methods emphasize:
- emptying the mind
- repeating a sacred word
- or seeking altered states of awareness
This distinction is why many Christians reject contemplative prayer practices.
Why Discernment Matters
One of the biggest challenges facing the modern church is spiritual discernment.
Not everything labeled:
- “Christian”
- “healing”
- “spiritual”
- or “prayer”
is automatically biblical.
Scripture repeatedly calls believers to:
- test teachings
- examine doctrine
- and compare spiritual claims against God’s Word
Acts 17 praises the Bereans because they searched the Scriptures daily to verify what they were being taught.
That remains important today.
A Biblical Response
As Christians, our goal should never be fear—but discernment.
We should:
✔ love God’s truth
✔ test spiritual practices carefully
✔ seek healing and growth through biblical means
✔ and remain grounded in Scripture above cultural trends
The church does not need worldly spirituality to experience the power of God.
The Holy Spirit, the Word of God, prayer, repentance, and biblical community remain fully sufficient for spiritual growth and transformation.
If you want to grow deeper in biblical prayer and spiritual discernment, I created a free printable workbook titled 30 Day Prayer Challenge for Prayer.
👉 Click here or on the image below to download it.
I don’t disagree with 99% of what you shared except for how you’ve lumped Splankna in the same category with the comparisons you listed.
If you took the time to read the Splankna book, then you would know it has absolutely nothing to do with New Age. God made everything, and He said that it was good. Satan counterfeits. He does not create. People have used what God meant for good, and they twisted it, however, they didn’t create anything for us to be trying to make good in and of ourselves, as that is not possible.
Also, read about the disciples casting lots in the New Testament to choose a replacement for Judas, or Peter’s shadow healing people, or Jesus telling the man that his daughter was healed without ever touching her. Those things cannot be explained without acknowledging that God is the one that created us to be able to these things.
If something is New Age, then it needs to be stated, but assuming things and people are and lumping them with things that are ungodly when clearly they aren’t, and there is plenty of material to support why it isn’t helpful.
I LOVE splankna!! My friend who does this work has a gift of prayer and it has blessed my marriage and me as an individual. This is not another god but yet focus’ on our God! I didn’t even read your entire article because I didn’t agree with the headline.
Energy healing is science based. You would know that if you researched it. Did God not create all things? Including energy? Just because we don’t know much about it in western medicine doesn’t mean it has no value or is demonic. I find it so disheartening that Christians jump on some new age witchcraft bandwagon on a topic they know very little of. Especially when those who practice it are trusting in the Lord for direction and guidance. The Bible does in fact have a lot of strange healing practices that we would call new age today. Don’t be so quick to slander your brothers and sisters in Christ. This is certainly not the mission you are called to.
?? Amen sister!!
Splankna in and of itself is not bad. Just be judicious with who your practitioner is. Splankna is not new age and it is actually biblical. The author criticizing splankna never actually proves her point. Please rethink what you are doing. I’m sure someone from the institute would be glad to answer your questions and address any of your concerns
I’m sure they would…
What stands out to me is the spirit of honor in which each of these replies who know Splankna reflects the heart and truth of the leadership in Denver. That in and of itself speaks to the good and solid work they do there. Bravo.
After experiencing some Splankna sessions myself what I felt was healing that was completely lead my the Father. The way that we were working through struggles was incredible but even further yet the gentle correction that the Lord will guided me in ( the Correction of love and still you understand the wrong you chose and yet you want the correction.) Splankna has been amazing and planning on attending a training class this year. I hope that you can do some more research on you topic to gain better understanding and dont just write it off because you think it is weird just proves some ignorance and not fully researched out.
From Confronting Powerless Christianity – Evangelicals and the Missing Dimension by Charles Kraft: “The inventory” of God, spirits, rituals and sacrifices is largely the same for animism (new age, etc.) and biblical Christianity BUT the focal point for Christian’s is God while for animists it is Satan. Satanic healing leads sooner or later to captivity and misery whereas God’s healing leads to freedom and peace.” The techniques may be similar but the source of power is starkly different.
Do your homework!
Ed Pfohl
ed.pfohl@gmail.com
It’s pretty cool to see all these replies stick up for Splankna!!
And I wholeheartedly disagree with this article’s claims on splankna and would encourage anyone to at least try one session! I’m so happy and blessed that my church pointed me to my practitioner. When I tell you that I am changed and closer to God than I have ever been!! I feel like a lot of people, even devoted Christians raised in the church, go through the motions hoping to hear and feel God, and though he is always with you, it’s difficult to trust, listen and obey – and be sure that it’s God your listening to!!! With splankna, I feel better equipped to recognize when God is speaking and guiding me, and to recognize when he isn’t. When I’m getting all sideways about something that has upset me and tempted me to do some toxic things – I pray! Something that I never enjoyed and only reserved for Sundays – if that, I now do on the daily! It’s just different, I am different, God has moved throughout my life and I gained better awareness with splankna. It’s not scary or evil – lol, it’s really just a guided prayer.
I have to agree with all of these comments, that Splankna is not new age. I also believe calling “centering prayer” new age is a false statement. Prayer is communion with our Heavenly Father – it can be silent, in our hearts, out loud, with others….the point is, we are in a relationship with our ABBA. Centering your heart to Jesus’ heart through prayer is what he wants us to do. I’m just bothered by this post. I hope people take the time to read the comments. Blessings to you.
my question for all these people espousing the virtues of splankna would be:
If this was what we as believers were supposed to do for healing and wholeness in our bodies and minds (spirit is perfected and sealed), why was this course of action not demonstrated or directed in the bible?
shouldn’t we’ll look to the bible as our source as it is complete and Jesus the one and only redeemer, healer and example?
That is a very important question. If the Bible is the foundation for our faith and how we live out our Christian life, we should be very careful, if not suspicious, of those things that we cannot find therein.
Question for all of you that love Splankna. Why do you need it? If you’re a Christian you must believe in the healing power of Jesus Christ, right? Jesus heals, and he heals immediately. “By His stripes we were healed”. And when Jesus heals you, you stay healed. Your illness does not come back. With Splankna and other energy healing systems there never seems to be an end point. There’s always something more to work on. This alone should tell you it’s not Christian. However, if you need more proof, the former head of the satanic church in South Africa, now a Christian, states clearly that Splankna is demonic. Please don’t be fooled by this just because it seems innocuous.
Amen, Angie! All we need is Jesus, and I don’t remember reading about Jesus doing muscle testing, etc. in the New Testament!