Billy Graham's grandson moved out of intensive care as he continues to fight Covid

Jonathan Lotz with his grandmother, the late Ruth Graham, wife of famed evangelist Billy Graham. (Photo: Facebook/Anne Graham Lotz)

Evangelist Anne Graham Lotz is thanking supporters for their prayers after her son, Jonathan, was moved out of the ICU in his battle against Covid-19. 

Jonathan was placed in intensive care after experiencing complications with Covid. Over the weekend, Lotz asked people to pray but, in an uplifting post on Facebook, she said her son had been sharing his faith with hospital staff despite his difficult circumstances. 

Now he is out of the ICU and is starting rehab.

"PRAISE GOD!!! Praise our prayer-hearing, prayer-answering God! Jonathan has just been moved out of ICU. Now he begins rehab!! " she wrote on Wednesday.

"Thank you, thank you for carrying Jonathan on your knees! Please continue to pray he will go from strength to strength with no permanent side effects!" 

Lotz, whose father was the late evangelist Billy Graham, signed off her message with Psalm 18:1-3, "I will love You, O Lord, my strength...my deliverer...my God in whom I will trust. ...I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved..." 

Over the weekend, Lotz shared that her son was in critical condition with Covid. 

In a touching post, she wrote, "Fifty years ago I could hold my son in my arms. Now I have placed him in the arms of Jesus. He has been hospitalized with COVID and is in critical condition."

She also shared a message she had received from Jonathan in the ICU. 

"I am physically exhausted yet Spiritually overflowing!" he wrote, adding, "I have had the privilege of sharing Jesus with the ER & ICU staff! What a Savior! God is so good!"

Lotz then asked that people would pray continuously for her son. 

"Please be encouraged that God is hearing and answering your prayers—just please don't let up," she added.

On Tuesday, Jonathan's sister, Rachel-Ruth Lotz Wright shared on Instagram that her brother was "showing signs of improvement", and was even taking time to pray with staff. 

"His attitude has been positive the entire time!! He is witnessing up a storm in the hospital!!" she wrote. 

"My guess is the nurses must be fighting over who gets to care for him, because he is so sweet! He prayed with a nurse who wanted to rededicate her life to Jesus at 3am!!

"I just wanted to ask you to please continue your prayers for his oxygen levels to go up!! The outpouring of prayers and support has brought our family to tears a bunch! We know we aren't the only ones going through difficulty - so thank you for your compassion!" 

News
Archbishop of Canterbury will be attending abortion vote in Lords on Wednesday
Archbishop of Canterbury will be attending abortion vote in Lords on Wednesday

The office of the Archbishop of Canterbury has confirmed she will be joining a key vote on abortion in the House of Lords this Wednesday after there was backlash over the suggestion she might be absent due to a planned pilgrimage.

'A lot' would change if Green Party disestablishes Church of England, says vicar
'A lot' would change if Green Party disestablishes Church of England, says vicar

The best response to suggestions that the Church of England would be disestablished if the Greens come to power is to do a better job of sharing the Gospel, an Anglican priest has said. 

AI still too inaccurate when it comes to Scripture, says YouVersion founder
AI still too inaccurate when it comes to Scripture, says YouVersion founder

YouVersion founder and CEO Bobby Gruenewald says artificial intelligence holds enormous promise. But when it comes to answering questions about God and Scripture, he believes the technology is not yet ready.

Church of Ireland marks St Patrick’s Day with worship, music and pilgrimage
Church of Ireland marks St Patrick’s Day with worship, music and pilgrimage

Church of Ireland dioceses and cathedrals have prepared a wide programme of worship, music and community events to mark St Patrick’s Day on Tuesday.