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Ravi Zacharias recovering 'well' after undergoing emergency spinal surgery

Christian apologist and author Ravi Zacharias speaks at Atlanta's Philips Arena on Sunday, January 3, 2016.
Christian apologist and author Ravi Zacharias speaks at Atlanta's Philips Arena on Sunday, January 3, 2016. | (Courtesy of Passion Conference/Phil Sanders)

Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias is recovering “well” after undergoing “emergency” spinal repair surgery on Thursday, his wife has revealed. 

“On behalf of Ravi and our family and team, we are truly overwhelmed and deeply grateful for your outpouring of concern, encouragement, and especially your prayers for Ravi’s spinal surgery today,” Margie Zacharias wrote on Twitter Thursday evening.  

“Ravi is well and he is resting,” she continued. “The doctor anticipates his pain now will be from the surgery itself, and we are praying for relief and comfort as Ravi begins the recovery process. Thank you again for your love and your prayers. It all means so much. I know the Lord has been present in the OR today, and I pray that He will give Ravi the ability to handle what is ahead for the next several weeks.”

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Dear Friends, Many of you know that I have had serious back issues and struggled after two surgeries. Recently the pain has intensified and I have battled several flare-ups. This Thursday I will undergo emergency spinal repair surgery and will be recovering until the beginning of April. I seldom talk about personal challenges but am making an exception because I know you will pray for me—and for my family and the @rzimhq team. Thank you for serving our Lord alongside Margie and me. Your prayers mean more than you’ll ever know. The wear and tear of travel are literal and figurative. I will keep you posted from time to time. I thank God for great medical expertise and look forward to a speedy recovery and being on the road again. But for now it's time to face the pain and the discipline of healing. Ezekiel asks the question, "Can these dead bones live?" The answer is a resounding "Yes" as God breathes new life into them. The Lord has never forsaken me and He is by my side. I am a blessed man. As I recover, I will pray, read, and write. I share an update on the blog (link in profile).

A post shared by Ravi Zacharias (@ravizacharias) on

On Wednesday, the 73-year-old head of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries revealed on his website that he has a history of serious back issues and to date has had two surgeries, the first of which resulted in 18 “good years” in which he said the Lord brought him comfort and strength.

“But over the last year, I have battled several flare-ups, and after my last trip to the Philippines and Sri Lanka, it’s a miracle I got home on my own two feet,” Zacharias wrote, adding that a recent CAT scan and MRI “showed no option but to go into a surgery immediately.”

“It’s time for a serious repair job that will take me off the road for close to eight weeks,” he shared. “The surgeon has said he will have to remove two of the screws that are loose and anchor my fractured sacrum in two places to the pelvis. That’s in lay language, but I have the best of doctors and surgeons who have loved this ministry and want to see me positioned for the distance.”

“The doctor has described it as an emergency, but he is equally confident of success,” he added. 

The speaker and author said he will be recovering until the beginning of April and anticipates “some days of pain and struggle.”

“Ezekiel asks the question, ‘Can these dead bones live?’ The answer is a resounding ‘Yes’ as God breathes new life into them,” he concluded. “The Lord has never forsaken me and He is by my side. I am a blessed man. As I recover, I will pray, read, and write.”

On social media, a number of ministry leaders offered prayers and well-wishes for Zacharias, including Louie Giglio and Franklin Graham. 

"Would you join me in prayer for our friend @RaviZacharias as he undergoes emergency spinal repair surgery tomorrow? I know he & his family would appreciate it," Graham tweeted.

Zacharias was scheduled to speak on Feb. 25 at the NRB 2020 Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. Taking his place that evening will be Abdu Murray, senior vice president of RZIM and host of the RZIM podcast The Defense Rests, and Jonathan Evans, managing director at The Urban Alternative and son of Dr. Tony Evans and the late Dr. Lois Evans.

“We will be in prayer for Ravi — before, during, and after the surgery — and we encourage others to do the same,” said Troy Miller, interim CEO of NRB.

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