Well-known Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias has requested urgent prayers for his health after doctors discovered he had a rare form of cancer following back surgery.
“As many of you know, I underwent surgery to repair my back 3 weeks ago. The surgery was considered a success, and the surgeon felt it was a strong reconstruction,” explained Ravi aged 73 on his website www.rzim.org.
He added: “However, since the surgery I have faced very severe pain, so intense in the night, especially, that I have been unable to sleep.
“While we have assumed this pain was a natural consequence of the surgery, we have learned in the past week that a biopsy taken during the procedure revealed that I have a malignant tumor on my sacrum—a very rare cancer called Sarcoma. Indeed, we now know this is the cause of my extreme pain. In the past few days, we have been meeting with specialists to determine the next course of action. They will wait until I am fully healed from the back surgery, and in 4-5 weeks, will begin treatment to shrink the tumor. I will not plan to resume speaking at least until the summer.
“We are trusting the Lord in this, and we believe we have already seen evidence of His hand. For example, the tumor did not show up on any previous scans and was only discovered by my surgeon identifying it during surgery.
“We received literally thousands of messages from people all over the world saying you were praying. I have every belief God directed and prompted my surgeon to his discovery of this tumor. Margie and I and our family are so grateful for your continued prayers for the journey that lies ahead.”
Ravi explained how his team has been able to stand in for him at this time:
“Several of our remarkable speaking team members have been able to step in for me as I am off the road during this time of surgery and recovery. Those of you who will have heard any of our team members speak will have been blessed, I am sure. They will continue to step in for me during this extended time off the road. (I’m so blessed to be part of a team of nearly one hundred gifted RZIM apologists and evangelists, who, in any given month, are speaking hundreds of times in front of live audiences across the globe.)”
Ravi concluded:
“I am grateful for the love and support of a team and for your friendships. We are trusting the Lord for His purpose. Please do also pray that God will take away this horrific night pain, which is the most difficult part of waiting.
“In the meantime, I want to express my heartfelt thanks for supporting the ministry as it goes forward around the world unabated. We need you to continue to stand with us.”
