The Harare Firm Foundation Conference kicked off with Prophet Innocent Richard delivering a stirring message.
Drawn from Luke 5:1–5, the message urged believers to move beyond merely hearing the Word to living it out with spiritual authority and tangible results.
Preaching from the account of Jesus and Simon Peter by the Lake of Gennesaret, Prophet Richard highlighted how Peter’s journey with Christ began not in a church setting, but at his workplace. While crowds pressed in to hear Jesus preach, Peter was busy washing his nets after a night of failure. According to the Prophet, this detail is crucial: Peter was preparing to receive, not just to listen.
He explained that washing the nets symbolised disappointment, pain and past efforts that had not produced results. Though Peter had the boat, the nets and the experience, he lacked results—revealing what the Prophet described as a lack of dominion. “Potential without dominion produces frustration,” he said, noting that many people today have qualifications and skills but still struggle to see fruit in their labour.
A key emphasis of the message was Jesus’ instruction to Peter to “launch out into the deep.” Prophet Richard stressed that God often sends people back to the very places where they previously failed—not with new tools or strategies, but with a fresh word and greater authority. “It was the same boat, the same nets, the same sea, but a different outcome because of the word spoken,” he taught.
Linking the message to Genesis 1:26, the Prophet reminded the believers that humanity was created to exercise dominion. He challenged believers to understand that money, opportunities, contracts and favour respond to spiritual authority, just as the fish responded to
Jesus’ command. Experience alone, he said, cannot replace obedience to a word spoken under divine authority.
The miraculous catch led Peter to repentance, a response Prophet Richard described as essential for building strong spiritual foundations. He warned against seeking blessings while neglecting alignment with God, emphasising that every new season must begin with repentance and recommitment.
A call was made for believers to enter the new year on a firm foundation in Christ, walking in restored dominion, open doors and spiritual authority. The message was clear: the Gospel is not meant to entertain, but to transform lives and produce lasting results.