Authority in Prayer... principle #2

The second principle regarding our level of authority is called the principle of Concentric expansion. Picture a small circle with ever-expanding circles around it, much like a target with larger and larger circles around a bull's-eye. The inner circle would represent us as individuals. As the circles expand and grow larger, they include more people and greater territory. As this increases, our authority decreases, since we are sharing it with others.The second circle might represent an individual's family, the third circle their city, the next their nation, and so on. Again, as the circles expand outward, our personal authority decreases.
No one has more authority over your life than you do. No one has greater authority to pray for you than yourself. We are born with a free will, the right to choose, and as we mature into adulthood this freedom increases. As far as God is concerned, no one can take it from us. With it however, comes not only authority but also responsibility. There are times in our lives when God wants us to heal ourselves. God, as a loving parent, requires us to grow up. He does not want us to remain spiritual babies.
No one has more authority to pray for you or lay hold of God's promises for you than you! And at times God will actually require us to use that authority, refusing to do some things for us based on another individual's prayers and faith.
Again, our authority decreases as we move outward to the next circle. Though our family members have individual authority as they relate to God, we also possess authority to pray for them. God has given the man the responsibility to be a covering or protection for his wife and children and with this comes great authority to pray for them..
Once more ; As our circles expand, our influence and authority decreases. We have authority, for example, to pray for our city, but others in our city have just as much authority as we do. All of us have authority to pray for our nation, an even larger circle, but other believers in the nation have equal authority to do so. It is obvious that as the circles expand, our authority decreases.

Grace and peace to you.
Stephen