Bringing America Back to Life
As Laura Allred prayed with other leaders and engaged in what she calls “prophetic brainstorming” nearly two years ago, the Holy Spirit dropped an idea in her heart. She thought it was crazy at first, but loved it all the same.
That’s how the Back to Live Movement was born. And from March 17 to April 6, Allred will see the vision come to pass as 39 young women—one for every year abortion has been legal in the United States—will walk nearly 250 miles from Houston to Dallas.
The goal is to not only raise awareness about the devastating reality of abortion, but to take a stand and break the murderous cycle in the U.S. Each day during the walk, a different woman will record her story and it will stream live on the Internet.
“The biggest thing I’m believing for is that the nation would hear loud and clear from this specific demographic—the very one the pro-abortion community is touting they’re contending for,” Allred told Charisma.
A believer in prophetic acts, Allred is hoping the Holy Spirit-directed prayer walk inspires something supernatural, just like when the children of Israel walked around Jericho seven times.
“My heart’s desire, first and foremost, is that heaven would hear and these young women would stand in the place of intercession, unlock something in the supernatural and break that stronghold of death over our nation,” she says. “We don’t want to be as much anti-abortion as we want to be pro-life and just exude the glory of God as we walk.”
The 21-day walk will start in Houston at the nation’s largest abortion clinic and end at the Dallas courthouse that birthed Roe v. Wade, the case that legalized abortion.
Allred, who calls Lou Engle and Cindy Jacobs her spiritual parents, traces her passion for the pro-life movement back to her childhood. Now, she’s finally seeing her passion take on a tangible dimension.
The vision began coming to life after she and Engle sent out the “Esther call” last year in search of 39 women who would participate.
“From the very beginning I knew—the Lord gave me a promise—that He had these young women handpicked like Esther all over the nation,” Allred says.
Angela Ford, 23, has had three abortions—her first one at age 14. After the abortions, Ford suffered from deep depression, self-hatred, rage, flashbacks and suicidal thoughts. But since she accepted Christ in 2006, she has held prayer meetings in front of Dallas abortion clinics and shared her testimony in front of the United Nations.
“As a post-abortive woman who knows the guilt, shame and trauma abortion causes, I would like to tenderly call every post-abortive woman ‘out of the closet’ and into the light,” Ford says. “You no longer have to live in your secret shame. There is mercy, healing and forgiveness found in Jesus Christ.”
Although Allred has not faced much public opposition, she expects the voice of disapproval to intensify as the event draws nearer, and she has already encountered spiritual resistance. She and her team members have experienced warfare in different areas—from distractions to a lack of finances—but these women refuse to be deterred from their God-given mission.
“If we have to sleep on gym floors and eat rice and beans for 21 days, we are going to stand in the place of intercession and let our voices be heard in heaven,” Allred says.
She explains that the Holy Spirit has given her a sense of joy and peace when she knows she should be “freaking out.”
“This is something that God gave me a mandate to do, so I know that He’s going to provide,” she notes with confidence. “The Holy Spirit has been all the guidance and the wisdom and comfort and peace that we need.”
