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Sunday Message · Fountain of Grace International · Pretoria North

Why Nothing Changes No Matter How Hard You Try

We have been preaching. Nothing has changed. We have been prophesying. Nothing has changed. We have been praying over you. Nothing has changed. At some point, the honest question has to be asked: what is missing between the prayer and the result?

Pastor Ricardo Zaal · Fountain of Grace International, Pretoria North · 4 January 2026

The Regret in the Grave

If you could ask someone who has died what they most regret, the answer almost never involves something they did wrong. It is almost always something they did not do. The idea they did not pursue. The step they did not take. The word they received but sat on while someone else moved on it.

You had the idea. You had the prompting. Then you hesitated - and watched someone else step into what you knew was meant for you. Not because they were more talented. Not because God favoured them more. Because they acted when you delayed. The opportunity was not about who deserved it. It was about who moved.

A Prophetic Word Only Activates With Action

A prophetic word only becomes real when two things are present: faith and a corresponding action step. The word alone is a seed in your hand. Faith alone, without movement, does not plant it. James 2:17 - "Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."

The image that makes this clear: you have the foundation. You have the bricks. You have the mortar. You even have the building plans. But if you never move a single brick to the mortar, the building remains an idea. Years pass. The foundation is still there. The vision is still there. But it is still just a foundation. The action is what builds.

You can know F sharp, G, and A major. You can name every key on the keyboard. But if you have never sat down and played it consistently, the knowledge produces no music. The knowing is not the playing. The prayer is not the action.

What Changes When You Add the Action Step

The moment you identify what God has been prompting you toward and attach a specific, immediate action step to it - the system changes. Not because you earned something. Because you aligned yourself with how God designed the system to work.

He said "lower your net" - and Simon did. Immediately. The catch broke the nets. The action did not create the fish. The fish were already there. The action created the context for what was already provided to be received.

God told you to do something. Not five things. One thing. You know what it is. It keeps coming up - in prayer, in sermons, in quiet moments. Write it down. Take one specific step toward it this week. That is what changes the circuit from prayer to result.

"Most regrets are not about what you did. They are about what you did not do. The moment has passed - but you are still standing at the building site with unbaked bricks and unused mortar."

- Pastor Ricardo Zaal

One Question to Answer Before This Week Ends

What is the one thing God has told you to do that you have not done? Write it down. Then write down the smallest first step. Not the full plan. Not the completed vision. The first action. And do it before Sunday.

If you are in Pretoria North, come on a Sunday - these messages are preached live every week at Fountain of Grace International, 323 B Danie Theron Street.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does prayer alone produce results?

Prayer is essential - but a prophetic word only becomes real when faith is combined with a corresponding action step. James 2:17 says faith without works is dead. If you pray for a job and send no CVs, the prayer is incomplete. God designed prayer as the starting point, not the complete circuit.

What is the first step when God gives you a direction?

Identify the smallest concrete action that aligns with the direction and do it immediately. Not the full plan - the first step. Abraham did not negotiate with God about the details before moving (Genesis 12:4). He departed as the Lord had spoken. Immediate obedience creates the context for the full provision to follow.

Join Us This Sunday

Fountain of Grace International meets every Sunday at 09:00 at 323 B Danie Theron Street, Pretoria North. Come as you are.

Read Full Sermon Transcript
Nothing. I want us to just know we have been preaching. Nothing has changed. We have been prophesying. Nothing has changed. We have given you the word. Nothing has changed. We even barang clap you. In the name of Jesus, nothing has changed. So why is your prayers? Not helping you. Do you know, Bishop, one of the things that I believe in, a prophetic word can only be a prophetic word if you have faith in it and take an action step towards it. That's when you can say, yane, it's that time. So most regrets does not come from you that you did something wrong. Most of the regrets is coming from what you did not do. In the grave, there are so many people that if they would wake up today and ask the question, wow, tell me, if you ask that person, tell me, what is the thing that you most regret about? That person will tell you the things I did not do. then if you felt like, you know, if you ever felt like there was a prompting, you know, like God is telling you something, but you delayed. you had the idea, but somebody jumped in front of you and took your idea. Now you get jealous and say, Marawai. It's not because of the other person is better than you. There's just one thing that that person is having that you haven't been getting to. You have the idea You know the steps, like when somebody asks you, how do you play keyboard? He will, you will, you will know every key. You will say F sharp, G, A major, minus seven. You know, all those things, you will have them, but because you waited, it's no use. I want to, I want to, I want to make an example. If this building that stands here, when you have done the foundation, everything on the foundation, bricks, everything is here, but you have not moved a brick and added to mortar, the building will just be an idea. moments has passed, like, so many things has passed, but yet, you are still on that idea. So many times, opportunities has come, opportunities was put on your lap and yet, you have done nothing about it. Now, I want to come to a place where I can say to you, God is moving whether you do or don't, He's still going to do it. Do you know that when God says to Noah, build the ark, if Noah would have not built the ark, he wouldn't have stopped by Noah. He would have asked somebody else. He wouldn't have bothered even. but because of Noah's actions, the ark was built. I can tell you, Jeremiah, come on, build these walls or rebuild these walls. If Jeremiah say, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, Jeremiah wouldn't have, I, Nehemiah, sorry man, did I say Jeremiah? It wouldn't have happened. One of the things that, that you should understand is that God is a God that never speak anything without an intent to it. God is literally never giving anybody a vision without provision. Someone can say God never reveals anything without requirement. Same. Great spirit look and get out or give it the same. Yes. The spirit look is God never gives you some insights or inner thoughts without expecting you to move on. and the reason why I'm saying all this to you, our year of 2026 will be a year of action. This will be a year of action. Oh, okay. Thanks, Lord. This will be a year of action. action. Now, one of the things that you must know about action is that action doesn't require any specific person. It will happen whether you do it or not, somebody else will do it. Whether you do it or not, somebody else will do it. People have a tendency of thinking I am the founder of the church. I can sit back and as I'm sitting back as I'm sitting back everything will just fall into place. you have a tendency you don't want to dirty your hands. It's why so many churches has failed because men of God thinks that they are too high not to clean a toilet or to clean a toilet. Let me say it that way. I have seen so many men of God that will even come inside a church. This is what they do. They will come inside the church without any Bible, no laptop, nothing. and they will want to come in there and the first person that come close to them go and fetch my Bible in the car. They don't even want to carry their own Bible. You are a great man of God but because of the smaller actions that you don't do your greatness can't be seen. Let any man who want to become great be the first servant. It's Jesus. Jesus was serving. And one of the things that you should understand is that most of us don't even bother about James 1 verse 22. because James 1 verse 22 you will hear this whole year. Bishop you are the one that comes the unfortunate part is you will be hearing it wire wire the one the one that don't come the message that is for him or her or for them they won't hear it because they never hear but for us who is here James 122 will be something that I can tell you that will be frequently used this year do not merely listen to the word do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourself do what it says this will be a message that will be spread throughout the year knowing without acting is a self deception even if you can hear remember the Bible says that hearing I mean faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God now if there's no one to give you the word help me there was this guy is it Ananias or who was it the guy that that was walking he was reading the Bible and then he couldn't understand what was said there then somebody came and explained it to him but but but you know who I'm talking that guy so for him to understood the Bible somebody had to come and explain to him now some of the things as I'm saying to you I've been saying it it's been preached it's been prophesied the word has gone out a lot of things times the same word has gone out but there's something that's missing your prayers has been going you've been praying like like Jesus where the sweat turns into blood the way you've been praying but your prayers is not helping you it's not helping you that is why it's very important to understand that according to James 1 do not merely just listen do Isaiah 55 verse 11 says so is my word that goes out from my mouth I will not I will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I send it out so when God speaks the word will move but is it you that will move with the word or not God's word will always be moving but the difference is that who is moving with it I can guarantee you now God is moving regardless whether you are moving with or not there's a scripture that I'm looking for now I just want to Matthew 9 37 now Matthew 9 37 says as following the harvest is plentiful he doesn't say it's going to be he says is so it's a now word it's a word for now the harvest is plentiful then it goes on but it says the workers are few my question is to you does it says that there is no workers because he says they are few so whether you work or not there will be workers and once again I'm preaching to the wrong crowd but even though I'm saying I'm preaching to the wrong crowd there's something that you have said that you will do and yet you have not done it as yet I mean God speaks men acts and history shifts Noah was spoken to Noah was built no perfect conditions he didn't wait for the weather report to say thunder strike he didn't he didn't even wait for public approval for somebody to tell him you can do it now he acted upon that God spoke to Jeremiah he obeyed not because it was easy don't get it wrong not because it was easy but because it was required of him to move the disciples there's a scripture in I almost say Matthew 6 what is that what does I is it John 6 6 66 wait John 66 he says no John 6 verse 66 he says from this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him what does that say it says that anytime somebody is moving not everybody will move with you regardless whether you are having anybody that move with you the fact of the matter is keep on moving this year is a year of action Jesus didn't slow down he continued he didn't say I've lost so many people does it matter no I know my 12 in fact I know my 11 because the 12 one is the one that you want to go do something something I know my 12 because it's very important to understand that there are certain people that will be with you regardless and they will be the few James James James 2 verse 17 says fate by itself if it's not accompanied by action is dead fate without action is dead if I can say I have faith to move a mountain I like to make this example if I can't move it with my word like God did it I will use teaspoon because teaspoon is in my range to be able to manage it the more I use the teaspoon the more I can I get I gain what is I gain strength because the more you pick up the teaspoon the more strength you gain then you move to maybe tablespoon now you can move that mountain bichan not biki biki like small small just if you if you if you are in time consuming if your faith can't move it by your words use ganda ganda bishop do you know ganda ganda it's anky fall it bulldozer you understand the fact of the matter is if you can't move your your mountain do something that can start moving if it if it is that you can't be like jesus says if only you have faith you will say to this mountain be thou be moved and it will move if you can't do that and you see the faith is not fating start with a teaspoon because when you start with a teaspoon your faith will be built because by day 50 the mountain will have a hole in it it looks like you are starting to move now the Greek word for faith in this specific James 2 verse 17 it it's it's an it implies the trust in motion meaning to say that you are trusting that there's a motion that will happen it's not a belief in silence do you know what belief in silence is I got a prophecy there's a company called R&R trading I need to start I did not wait for the word to come again I went to go and register the company it's registered so that is what it means it it's not to believe just in the head it's a movement that prove there's life James 4 verse 17 says as following if anyone then knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it it's sin for them if you know that you should be starting the business don't await for somebody else to start the business now you get jealous please guys please keep the time for me turn it a little so not a little so that I can I cannot be spending too much then it says it says if anyone then knows the good they ought to do so it means that you need to do something it's not being rebellious that will get you to sin no it's not being rebellious it's not telling your pastor you go and do whatever it says if anyone then knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it it is sin for them it is sin for you if you know that you should do it it is sin Matthew 9 37 says as follow the harvest is plenty now the question I'm asking you if the harvest is already there does it mean that there's a harvest what is there there's a scripture that says the builder build his house on the what on the rock on the what on the what on the what and then you know like build the house no no not the other one that the one is on the sand the one is on the rock the one is on the what what then it goes on and it says that then the birds came to eat the seed you see you you say he says the bird came to eat the seed does it mean that the harvest is plentiful no one is going to take the harvest now my question is who do you allow to take the harvest because if there's a harvest and Jesus is harvesting Satan is vice versa so your action towards that harvest might be that you give them I'm asking I have not said I've asked it is it maybe that when you when you look at the harvest when the Bible says that the laborers are few it means that the laborers are so few that some of the harvest they didn't get to and Satan got to it and this is just a question are you the person that actually allow Satan to step into your harvest because this is what I'm asking you and I'm saying it again business idea comes you know you have to execute you know the only thing that is there because remember one thing no one will allow you to do something if they don't benefit from it some people will be like it's fine you can do it but I'm not benefiting in it let me not go there Proverbs 20 verse 5 says the purpose of a person's heart are deep waters but one who has insights draw them out now this is a a a a proverb that you need to go and write down I want you to to understand that when business ideas are there it already means that it's inside of you you just have to execute it if there's something that you need to do God has placed it within you execution is very important start acting upon it the answer is already there the only thing is if you see steps and you don't see where it's going the only way you will know where it's going is to start taking one step at a time a step ladder that is leaning against a wrong wall and you climbing it it's better than to see a step wall a step against a wall that is correctly but you just stare at it it's the same thing but the thing is when the one that has action move up and he realized it's the wrong wall that he's been climbing he gets off again and go and seek for the other wall with another step is but you that stood and think is it is it not is it is it not you have not moved you will not know if this is the correct step later God has given you the insight inside of you according to Proverbs 20 verse 5 the purpose of a person's heart are deep waters but one who has insight draw them out so it's there you just need to draw them out Proverbs 29 verse 18 says where there is no vision the people perish so if I can say to you vision without execution still kills so it means that there's vision but you have not executed it then it's no wish no use Habakkuk says Habakkuk 2 verse 2 says write the vision and make it plain so that a runner may read it a vision is written for somebody to execute it's not for a spectator it's not for spectator it's not for you to to say it's not for you to say this is the vision and sit with it Romans 8 verse 16 says the spirit himself testifies with our spirit do you see what it says it actually says that the thing that you have within you the spirit has already confirmed that you can do it but you testing the spirits thinking Bishop they love to say test the spirits but God already gave you something now you testing the spirit and make the spirit that has been testifying with you to be a wrong spirit God has already said to you go study to become a doctor in your mind you heard it somebody was already prophesying it to you but you have not even take up a pen to go and write an application God be with us you know that some some 37 says take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart now the question I'm saying to you he said he didn't say God will give you the desires he says take delight first then it moves on and it says commit your ways to the Lord trust in him and he will can you see it's something that you first have to act out it's something that you have to you can almost say commit to then when you commit then he will act it's like throw knee to me I will throw knee to you that's it that's it something I can say God be with us God be with us some of the things that we going through now Luke 17 21 also says the following he says the kingdom of God is within you so the answers that you've been seeking for is not out there you have already gotten the answer you have already gotten the answer it's already inside of you but I can I can guarantee you everyone will won't agree with you Jesus did not slow down even though so many left him he didn't he just moved on even when you go to Matthew 12 verse 30 he says whoever is not with me is against me so the person that is against you is the person that is trying to let you fail when when you say let's start this church and and Lytton says no ah Lytton is already against me I'm not going to go into that one too much do you know what that does whenever you start doing something you will soon see the people that are not with you the action will align them your action I mean will align the others with you who is what you I mean the ones that is neutral they will just disappear the ones that is not what you because remember there's something that you need to understand there some people fight prosperity gospel because they think holiness is better than prosperity then they leave a prosperity gospel preacher to go to a holy person preacher preaching it does not mean that prosperity is is not something that somebody should be getting as well but now somebody goes to prosperity gospel because they don't like holiness it doesn't mean holiness is wrong it just means that your attraction towards that is more I wish you can understand this one I've I've I've given it low class I didn't give it high some people don't like prophetic ministries because they felt exposed you will understand when I say that I'm just saying now when a foundation without without the building if it's if there's a foundation it still leaves you homeless a foundation plans for shelter that has not been executed still makes you homeless blueprints that is perfectly done you they have they have write a plan for this building for you so nicely to the teeth of everything but yet no action the building is not there the building is not there you don't wait for the for the house to stand first you can't you can't wait for the house to stand first you must build before the house can stand you can't you can't do vice versa there's a saying that says no let me let me go one back do you know that in the malls when you come closer to the door the door open if you stand and wait for the door to open thy kingdom come and you will still be standing there because those doors are motion detectors and in our lives the motion detectors are there the moment you move God move with you those motion detectors will allow you to see wait there's something when I do this it starts moving when I do this when I go back it close when I come forward it opens wait if I go back it means it close no I want to go forward so which means that the only thing that will make me to enter there is by moving forward the only thing that makes you to enter into your destiny is you doing the move it's very important to understand ideas becomes the outcomes it's very important to understand fate becomes visible the more you move into it it's very important to understand prayer without action it's not going to help you I always make this example I say to you how long have you been praying and then did you stop to hear if God is answered you with your big mouth you keep on going keep on going not knowing that God has answered you long time ago but yet you have the tendency of in action making you to think that life is hard life is not hard for the ones that is moving it's only hard for the ones that need perfect conditions it's only hard God has already moved it's only your turn to move now God has already been moving it's your turn now to move God has been moving it's your turn to move I want us to declare this and I want us to stand as we declare this let it begin as we declare this I want us to declare this I'm doing this now so that we still have 10 minutes I don't want us by the 12 o'clock when we have to say we must still do declarations we must be already been done for that so as we are declaring I have to forgive my throat is not nice that's why I keep on asking something to drink because speaking also is a hard one for me so as we are declaring I want you to declare from within your heart I will say the whole thing like the whole sentence just so that you can understand what you are saying first declaration I would say I will not delay what God revealed I will not delay what God revealed I will not wait for perfect conditions I will not wait for perfect conditions I will act on what I already know I will move and God will move with me I will move and God will move with me I will not lose assignment through delay I will not lose assignment through delay this is my year of action this is my year of action so I just want you to confirm with me as I repeat these declarations again you can just say Amen I will not delay what God revealed I will not wait for perfect conditions I will not act on what I already know I will not move and God will move with me I will not lose assignment through delay this is my year of action Hallelujah this is my year of action now I just want to say this prayer but before I go into this prayer there's one thing that you need to understand that we do not suffer because we don't know the Bible says my people are perishing because of the lack of knowledge but we've been prayed up we've been prophesied up we've been given the word we have been given so many blueprints but what we did not get is we did not act upon it and that is the reason why we suffer we don't act upon it it's like somebody saying to you fish there's a million rent in something and you you know what you say a million rent so easy you know we have a tendency of whenever we somebody give us something on a silver platter we call it it's too good to be true so we don't act upon it I have a job for you come Monday and come Monday the guy is like he doesn't come missing missing in action missing in action the one thing you need to do this year any opportunity somebody tells you if they say there's 100 rent for you don't question what is 100 rent for just say where where where let me go and get it don't ask what must I do with it get it first and then ask the questions afterwards because when somebody says to you look there's a training that you need don't don't don't overthink just do it don't overthink just do it as we close our eyes heavenly father I want us to take this opportunity and firstly thank you for being the father that you are and I want to say thank you for keeping us up till thus far and as we are going to step into a new year we would like to step with movement and not waiting I believe that the Bible says that those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strengths but this year it's not a year of waiting on the Lord because we've been waiting on God this is a year of action and that we will move forward we reject any delay in the mighty name of Jesus we reject any fear in the mighty name of Jesus we reject any passivity in the mighty name of Jesus we act on what you have already revealed anything that you have been given into our minds into our heart we act upon it in the mighty name of Jesus we move on what you have already placed within us because we know Father God you have placed it within us already we build what you have already assigned for us in the mighty name of Jesus and as we act we know you will act as we move we know you will open more doors for us because of as you were saying on your word that there was given a specific amount of money and those who got a small amount of money that placed it under the in the ground were not given anything but those who make means of those money the money was multiplied so in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior I pray for the same grace upon us that we don't sit with money and don't multiply it in the mighty name of Jesus for this new year anything we touch will multiply in the mighty name of Jesus we move on what you have already placed within us so you have given us so much more our talents that we have and yet we have not been using it but for this year is a year of moving it moving with it in the mighty name of Jesus as we step you establish the outcomes in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior this year we will what you ask us to do in the mighty name of Jesus we will say every time whenever there's an unction upon our lives to give to somebody we will give we will not ask questions if there's a prompting of the spirit to say go pray for others we will not go and ask again can we pray we will just start praying because of you have already given us the go ahead to go wherever there's somebody that needs a prophetic word we will not ask do you want the prophetic word we will just give it in the mighty name of Jesus Christ this year we will act upon anything that comes in our way in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and I know Father God that as we are moving into the new year the year of action anytime whenever there's action the action that we will do will only bring out positive outcomes no action that brings negative outcomes will be our portion in the mighty name of Jesus anything that brings negative outcomes Father God we reject it now in the mighty name of Jesus and we say to you Satan you are a defeated foe you have been defeated long time ago and therefore we reject any plan that you have in the mighty name of Jesus we reject it now in the mighty name of Jesus and we only accept the plan of God the plan of God that he said in Jeremiah 29 verse 11 the plans I have for you is to prosper you and not to harm you so anything that wants to harm us for this new year the year of action we will not now as we count down to our three minutes now why did I say it the prayer I prayed was so fast I thought I don't want to miss the counting clock but I think we can say the grace and then by the time the grace is finished it will be celebrating because you know one thing I can tell you now this year of 2025 was a tough year for all of us not for one for all of us in the year 2026 with our actions that we will be doing we will conquer this whole world if I can say this way so now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the love of God and the sweet fellowship of the Holy Spirit rest and with us all until Jesus comes surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives and and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever in Jesus mighty name
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