Last night, I saw the movie, Recitation and learned so many lessons from the movie. One thing is very clear, which is that the movie is divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit to teach and show us the enormous greatness of God’s power in those who love and trust in him. The story is centered around a young boy, called Testimony, who was a stammerer and had to face and overcome his Goliath by partaking in a Bible recitation competition. Each scene in the movie had a lesson to tell, and I have decided to share some of the lessons I learned in the movie.
See opportunity in challenges
Testimony had a well-known challenge, one that was so evident and visible to all. He was a stammer, and this often affected his self-esteem and self-confidence level. However, even at that, God still had a beautiful plan for him. This tells us that as believers, we would have challenges, and things there would be things that make us feel inadequate, but in it all, God wants to use such to reveal his power through us if we surrender it to him.
Have good mentors
Testimony’s teacher played a very significant role in his life, one of encouragement, correction, instruction, and guidance. At different intervals, the kind of support Testimony needed was provided by this teacher. For Testimony, the teacher was like his all and all on earth, and we sure need people like this in our lives. For you, it just might not be one person, but as we go through the seasons of our lives, we must recognize that God will send these people in our way, and we aren’t helpless. We need to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit to direct us to these people.
Oppositions are blessings in disguise
On the way to greatness, in reaching the promised land, there will always be opposition and things would usually look as though there is no hope. But even in that very storm, God had promised to make a way. One would readily think that the moment the Testimony got interested and started practicing for the Bible competition, everything would just happen immediately. No it didn’t. At that period, Testimony’s father was ready to withdraw him from school, he went for the Bible audition and didn’t make it before the judges, his speech was terrible, he couldn’t even get past the audition stage, no one was going to give him a chance because it was very obvious his stammering was a problem. But somehow, there was hope even in the midst of a tunnel.
Preparation is important
Testimony didn’t just get excited that he would participate in a Bible competition. He also did his preparation. At midnight, he would stay up at night memorizing bible verses and practicing for his delivery. He took time to prepare for his big stage, and we see later on, when he was given the big stage, with the help of the Holy Spirit, those memory verses he has memorized over time, came alive flowing freely from his mouth. This really shows us that regardless of the big destiny and dream God has shown us, we must take time out to also do our preparation, as it is the works of our hands God blesses.
Walk by faith
Testimony’s teacher knew there would be a need for preparing him for this competition. So he employed a diction coach for him. The diction coach who was employed to prepare him for the competition started out with the job, but however, deep down, didn’t believe the boy stood a chance. Logically speaking, it didn’t make sense, how could a boy with such a stammering condition be coached to recite 50 Bible verses in 5 minutes, what miracle would do this? As her professional understanding couldn’t phantom it, she had to walk away. She simply asked the teacher a very sincere question, if it was your son, would you do this to him, and allow him to be humiliated before a global audience? But little did she know that God himself was going to use this situation to showcase to the world his mighty power at work in those who believe.
Prayer is key
Prayer always works even when all else fails. The testimony didn’t get through the audition stage, his father heard this news and immediately stopped him from going to school, but rather started resuming at the shop to sell ‘’Biscuit and Sweet’. All hopes seemed lost at this stage, how do you connect Testimonies having a big dream with his current situation? Testimony’s teacher’s wife had learned of this hopeless situation from her husband, and instead of joining him to be sad about the situation, immediately held hands with her husband and prayed a simple prayer for God to make a way through the situation. And guess what, God did. Just a little digression, talk of an insightful woman, this Teacher’s wife was this and more. She saw that God had made a door already for Testimony in this situation, and she simply prayed that God will open this door. Back to Testimony’s story, after the prayer session, miraculously, one of the organizers of the competition called the teacher back telling him there was an opportunity for Testimony to participate in the competition. However, based on the peculiarity of his stammering condition, he would have to give a ‘’one- minute’’ special presentation before the main presentation. Talk of God doing the impossible when all holes seem lost, this definitely is it!!!!
Divine Encounter
The encounter: Miracles don’t deny the existence of problems, but rather always believe that just an encounter with the King of kings will change any dead situation around. Just like the woman with the issue of blood, all she wanted to touch was the hem of Jesus’ garment to be made whole. For Testimony, his divine encounter was the dream he had where the lord Jesus visited him and gave him his body and blood (communion). Talk about the power in the communion, this was what marked the boy’s encounter and then the run-around story.
Stand for the faith
What of Testimony’s classmate who couldn’t stand his ground when sinners enticed him but fell because he wanted to be among the main guys? It didn’t even take him so long to get into trouble, he got overdosed on drugs, became extremely sick, and was rushed to the hospital. He had entertained a strange fire into his life. Thank God for that female classmate of theirs, who even counseled him against the foolish steps he was taking into sin, but was still quick to run over to the hospital to pray for him. What does this teach us, as believers we are not to condemn or criticize a fellow believer who may seem to have drifted away from the faith. Instead, what we are expected to do is to pray for such to be restored, and help them get back in fellowship with God. We as believers are fighting a single common enemy, the ‘’Devil’ and contending collecting for the faith of our lord Jesus Christ.
God is real!!!
You wouldn’t blame the Testimony’s father for not believing in God anymore. He had trusted God to heal his daughter who later died of cancer. But you know what? God didn’t give up on him, just like a loving father would do. He used the Testimony story to bring the father closer to him. So you see, when people say they do not believe in God anymore, there is usually a pain they have nursed for so long, and how they felt God had failed them. So since they cannot explain how a loving God can not come through for them at the point they needed him the most, then, it means that God doesn’t exist. But you know what, God doesn’t give up on them, he knows just how to reach them with personal encounters and experiences, just as he did for Apostle Paul in Acts chapter 9.
See opportunity in challenges
Talk of naysayers, talk of those who will not believe in your vision or God-given abilities, you will always have these people around you. Testimony’s brothers and father were such naysayers. You would think that these were the ones that should be his major supporters, but the reverse was the case. See, believe in God, believe in his abilities in you, and see what he can do with and through you regardless of the opposition that comes your way.Â
In Conclusion,
I could go on and on to tell you many more lessons I learned from the Movie Recitation, but I will just stop with just these 10, so you also have the benefit of watching these movies and learning lessons from it too. Please head to Youtube, Mount Zion Film Production, or Damilola Mike-Bamiloye to watch this movie this weekend, you will be glad you did.
A big thumbs up to the entire cast and crew of the movie. May God bless the Mount Zion film production and the Winlos for this wonderful movie.
Please can you share this post on your timelines so others can learn from it too?
God bless you
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