Christian apologist Nabeel Qureshi has shared a health update and asked for continued prayers as his hospital stay enters a second month, revealing doctors are now "really worried" about his liver.
In a vlog update posted August 19, Qureshi, a Pakistani-American Muslim convert to Christianity who is an author and has also served with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, said it had been difficult to post any updates in the hospital, especially with all the cords attached to his arms.
"I've been in the hospital 30 days now," he said. "I was first at St. Luke's, something like 3 weeks, and I've since been transferred to MD Anderson, where, when I arrived, my stomach was bleeding out, basically...it wouldn't stop bleeding, the tumors. We really had no choice but to take out my stomach or just face a bunch of blood loss, which would ultimately lead to death."
Qureshi said he's been "trying to recuperate" ever since his stomach was removed, but doctors are now concerned about his liver.
"As you can tell I've been very short of breath," he said. "They found some fluid...around my lungs, which is causing me to be short of breath. Also, my liver function is not returning to normal...the bilirubin keeps trending up, which is why my skin is yellow and my eyes are on the yellow side of things."
He added, "The doctors are really worried about my liver. They've already taken out my stomach, that part went well. They found some tumors in my liver, but they don't think that's causing the issue. They're not entirely sure what is. So, here we are. Day 30 in the hospital. Still not sure when I'll be going home."
His voice breaking, the "Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus" author asked for prayer: "Please pray for me, that God would heal my liver and that God would heal my whole body and restore me to life once again that I can see my home, see my wife, see my daughter."
"I hope to talk to you again soon," he said, before closing in prayer.
"Lord you are able, even in our deepest and darkest hours, to comfort, to heal, so we trust, you, Lord. We ask you for this, that you would do a miracle. Thank you so much for my brothers and sisters who are praying for me. We love you God, we pray in Jesus' name, amen."
Qureshi, who lives in Houston, Texas, with his wife Michelle and daughter Ayah, received the cancer diagnosis on August 24, 2016 - eleven years from the very day he acknowledged and received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Since then, he has regularly posted updates and thanked God for his faithfulness in even the darkest of days.
On August 24, supporters are encouraged to post personal notes of thanksgiving and praise to God on Qureshi's Facebook page.
"You are also welcome, as you feel led, to share notes of encouragement or expressions of gratitude for how you have been impacted by Nabeel's ministry, along with intercessory prayers of healing, strength, and hope for Nabeel and his family," a friend of Qureshi's wrote on his Facebook page.
"But most importantly, we want to celebrate by magnifying God above all kingdoms and thrones, and thanking Him for the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ who by conquering death itself gave us the greatest demonstration of how God causes all things to work together for the good to those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose."
