Health
5 prayers to ease election anxiety shared by religious leaders
This election season, it’s natural to feel a sense of anxiety and loss of control during such a pivotal time of transition.
Faith leaders from different traditions and backgrounds shared insight on how to fully put one’s trust in God when things feel out of control. They also shared the specific Bible verses and personally created prayers they turn to for comfort and to ease worries.
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Read on for their thoughts conveyed to Fox News Digital this November.
‘Do not be anxious about anything’
Troy A. Miller, president and CEO of National Religious Broadcasters, based in Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital about the specific verses he turns to when he is feeling anxiety about issues, including the upcoming election.
He mentioned these words from scripture: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
During times of change and stress, including the November elections, one can find peace in God, said faith leaders. (iStock)
“You have probably given Nov. 5 considerable thought: how to vote, when to vote and what the results will mean for America,” he said. These verses “give us clear guidance on experiencing peace in all circumstances.”
By seeking God’s will, asking for help and remembering that He is in charge, “we will discover ‘the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,’” Miller said.
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“As we faithfully pray for our country and vote in alignment with our values, let us place our concerns safely in the care of our Father in Heaven, who holds the nation and the world in His hands,” he said.
‘God works for the good’
Işık Abla is senior pastor of Dream Church International in Virginia Beach and the author of many Christian books. She told Fox News Digital, “In these uncertain times, it is crucial to rest in the sovereignty of God, trusting that He is at work, even when outcomes are unclear.”
She noted this passage: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Işık Abla, shown at right, said it is “crucial to rest in the sovereignty of God, trusting that He is at work, even when outcomes are unclear.” (iStock; Işık Abla)
“While opinions may differ and emotions run high, believers can anchor their hearts in the peace that surpasses understanding, knowing that God’s plan transcends human decisions,” she said.
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When a person is stressed or does not know what to do, “prayer becomes a powerful way to calm minds and seek divine wisdom,” Abla said.
“No matter the results, God is faithfully orchestrating all things for His purpose and glory,” she also said.
‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever’
Pastor Jesse Bradley of Grace Community Church in Auburn, Washington, reminded others that “Jesus is our rock in times of uncertainty” and that He is our “Prince of Peace in times of transition and our Good Shepherd in times of stress.”
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He cited this verse: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
Said Bradley, “Nothing can separate us from the love of God.”
“Nothing can separate us from the love of God,” said Pastor Jesse Bradley of Washington, even in times of extreme anxiety and stress. (Fox News Digital)
During times of transition, God’s word does not change, Bradley said.
“The Gospel – that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the grave – is always good news,” he said. “God will never leave us or forsake us. Trials will pass. God’s grace is sufficient. God’s promises stand firm.”
‘You have overcome the world. We trust you’
Bradley also wrote his own prayer for those who may be struggling with anxiety during these times, and shared it with Fox News Digital.
“Father God, thank you for your presence. You are the God of comfort and the source of our joy. Our lives are filled with purpose, and your passion is a fire in our souls,” the prayer begins.
“Jesus, we choose to abide with you today. You have overcome the world. We trust you. We ask for compassion, wisdom and courage as we serve our neighbors and glorify You. Forgive us Lord of our sins, we pray, and come heal our land. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
“Please help me realize that no matter the outcome, I must strive to be a force for bringing unity and good to the world,” one prayer notes. (Ildar Abulkhanov)
‘Please keep us all safe and united’
Rabbi Daniel Rowe of Aish, a worldwide Jewish organization dedicated to inspiring “people to live more thoughtful, spiritual and impactful lives,” shared a prayer he wrote with Fox News Digital.
His prayer highlights the need to trust in God and to always remember the humanity of people who are on the “other side” of an issue.
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“God of all the world, I find myself confronted by fears of what the future will bring and feelings of resentment, distrust and dislike of those whose views I oppose. Please help me to realize that I need to stop playing Your role and please help me to play my part in service of You, of my fellow citizens of this great nation, and of all of mankind.”
It is important to remember, one rabbi said, that God, not humanity, is in charge of the future and that people should work to play their “part in service of You, of my fellow citizens of this great nation, and of all mankind.” (iStock)
“Please remind me that elections are only short-lived. Please help me realize that while our opponents have their faults and flaws, so do we all. Please help me see that they, like us, want the good of the country and that our destiny is tied together, united indivisible under You.”
His prayer continues, “Please help me realize that no matter the outcome, I must strive to be a force for bringing unity and good to the world, and to realize that I am a character in Your great book of history. Please help me know my role, play my role, and please keep us all safe and united — bringing out the best in one another and building our future together.”
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A new injectable therapy is showing positive results in reducing melanoma throughout a five-year period.
The personalized mRNA cancer therapy, called intismeran autogene, combined with the cancer immunotherapy drug KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab), is a collaboration between Merck and Moderna.
The results from the phase 2b KEYNOTE-942 study were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago on May 27.
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After about a five-year follow-up, the combo drug was found to reduce the risk of melanoma recurrence or death by 49% compared to pembrolizumab alone.
The researchers analyzed data from 157 patients with high-risk stage 3 and 4 melanoma whose cancer had been removed via surgery. The participants were split into two groups — one received the combo therapy and the other only received pembrolizumab, according to a press release.
The therapy was found to reduce the risk of melanoma recurrence or death by 49% compared to pembrolizumab alone after a five-year follow-up. (iStock)
The findings revealed that the combination group saw benefits that were “sustained and durable over time.”
Intismeran autogene is designed using mutations identified in a patient’s own tumor, with the intention of teaching the immune system what the cancer looks like so that it can recognize and attack it.
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According to the researchers, intismeran is “well-tolerated” with a “manageable” safety profile.
The most commonly cited side effects of the personalized mRNA vaccine plus KEYTRUDA were fatigue, injection-site pain, chills, fever and headache. The researchers reported no new long-term safety concerns and no severe vaccine-related adverse events.
The combination therapy is currently being evaluated in a phase 3 study — the final confirmation stage.
Patients with late-stage melanoma have a “significant risk” of cancer recurrence, according to an expert. (iStock)
In a Merck press release from January, Kyle Holen, MD, Moderna’s senior vice president and head of development, oncology and therapeutics, noted that this data highlights the “potential of a prolonged benefit … in patients with resected high-risk melanoma.”
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“We continue to invest in our platform in oncology because of encouraging outcomes like these, which illustrate mRNA’s potential in cancer care,” he said.
Dr. Marjorie Green, senior vice president and head of oncology, global clinical development at Merck Research Laboratories, also commented that for many patients with stage 3 or 4 melanoma, there is a “significant risk of recurrence following surgery.”
Researchers confirmed that the combination therapy is currently being evaluated in a phase 3 study. (iStock)
“As such, demonstrating the longer-term potential of intismeran autogene and KEYTRUDA to reduce the risk of recurrence for certain patients with melanoma is a meaningful milestone,” she said.
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The company cited encouraging five-year follow-up data and pointed to upcoming late-stage INTerpath trial results with Moderna in several hard-to-treat cancers.
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An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells, SWNS reported.
By targeting the specific molecules the viruses rely on, scientists found that they could block them from entering new cells and halt their replication altogether.
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Researchers say these “fundamental insights” into seasonal influenza highlight a clear path toward developing better preventive medications.
“The hope is that fundamental, curiosity-based research like this helps to pave the way for novel strategies to treat and prevent influenza infections,” principal investigator Dr. Emily Bruce, from the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, said in the SWNS report.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells. (iStock)
While several flu strains cause illness, H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses are the most common. However, current flu tests cannot differentiate between them, and clinical treatments are identical for both.
Although vaccines and antivirals are available, Bruce noted a “dire” need for better medications to stop the virus from spreading cell to xxcell.
“You don’t get sick when a virus is in one cell,” he noted. “You get sick because a virus replicates itself and goes into many more cells.”
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The study, which was published in The Journal of Virology, originally aimed to map how viral RNA segments are transported within cells to create new viral particles.
The team used H1N1 and H3N2 viruses isolated from the nasal passages of positive patients in 2022.
Clinical treatments remain identical for both primary strains of the flu virus. (iStock)
During the investigation, the team unexpectedly stumbled upon a cellular pathway that blocked the virus from entering lung cells, SWNS reported.
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The data revealed that when a specific human protein called Rab11B was depleted, H3N2 viruses failed to enter human lung cells. H1N1 viruses were completely unaffected.
Using reverse genetics, the team mapped this defect and uncovered a brand-new, H3N2-specific role for Rab11B during viral entry.
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This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way.
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“Viruses are like pirates from different countries hijacking someone’s ship,” Bruce said. “Different viruses, like different types of pirates, use different methods to get onboard.”
This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way. (iStock)
“We had previously thought that all flu viruses used the same way to get into a cell, but we discovered that this is not true,” she went on. “H1N1 and H3N2 need different proteins to get in, and if you get rid of the right protein, a specific virus can’t get in.”
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While these findings identify a critical cellular pathway for viral entry, the study was conducted using isolated cells, the researchers acknowledged.
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Further research is needed to determine whether blocking the protein is safe and effective within a live, complex human respiratory system.
Bruce and the team hope to conduct further research to determine whether this Rab11B-dependency is a fundamental property of H3N2, or if it’s a trait unique to currently circulating flu strains.
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
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The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
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After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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