Renowned Nigerian Christian filmmaker and the founder of Mount Zion Faith Ministries, Pastor Mike Bamiloye, shared an intimate reflection on his early struggles with a surprising addiction—not to substances, but to secular writing.
In a candid post on his Facebook page, Bamiloye opened up about the turning point in his life that led him to surrender his talents to God and embrace a higher calling in Kingdom service.
In his post, Bamiloye took readers back to 1982, when, as a 22-year-old, he stood outside a church hall during a convention, captivated by the powerful ministration of a renowned gospel singer.
He described the moment as transformative, recalling, “The anointing that morning was so heavy upon the congregation as the voice of that woman rent the hallowed chamber of the large hall. I couldn’t hold back my tears. I fell into deep prayer, crying out to God, ‘LORD, You are using a woman; use me too. I want to serve You. Use me too.’”
It was in this emotional moment that he sensed a divine calling. He heard a voice inside him urging him to surrender his writing gift for Kingdom purposes, “I will use you if you surrender your gift at my feet.”
At the time, Bamiloye was already a skilled writer, known for his secular drama scripts and novels, which focused on themes far removed from spiritual matters.
The idea of giving up his writing career for a divine calling was both difficult and daunting for him.
“I didn’t want to stop writing those theatrical dramatic pieces; I didn’t want to stop writing those adventurous and investigative novels that profited the Heavens nothing,” Bamiloye confessed, admitting that he struggled to let go of his secular pursuits. Despite his initial willingness to follow God’s call, he found himself slipping back into his old habits. Writing had become an obsession, “like I was drugged… like a drunkard addicted to drinking… like a smoker addicted to smoking.”
Years later, already in ministry, Bamiloye received a sobering warning through a vivid dream, in which God made it clear that unless he withdrew his secular scripts from publishers, they would eventually undermine his ministry.
The message was direct: “Unless you obey and urgently withdraw those scripts from the publishing companies, the devil will use the published books to rubbish your ministry later in life.”
The urgency of this divine message left him with no choice but to act swiftly. He shared the news with his wife and set out to retrieve his manuscripts from various publishing houses.
One of the publishing directors, who was a Christian, tried to convince him to reconsider, believing the scripts were harmless.
Despite this, Bamiloye pressed on with his decision and successfully retrieved the manuscripts after signing the necessary documents.
“I hereby submit all my gifts at Your feet,” he declared, marking the beginning of a new chapter in his life.
Today, Bamiloye reflects on how his obedience to God has borne fruit, leading to the creation of countless gospel films and stage productions through Mount Zion Faith Ministries that have touched lives across Nigeria and beyond.
He proudly asked, “Have I not produced better drama scripts for the Lord? Have I not turned many drama scripts into great movies for the Kingdom of God?”
Bamiloye emphasized that his testimony serves as a reminder for all those blessed with talents.
“Every gift is deposited in a person’s life by God for the expansion of the Kingdom of God. It is not meant to serve your pleasures, nor was it given to you to do whatever you like with it,” he wrote, stressing the divine purpose behind every talent.
He reminded believers of the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, noting that each person is entrusted with gifts that must be used for the service of God’s Kingdom, stating, “It is a Kingdom issue. It is not a joke matter; it has to do with the matter of eternal life. Gift and talent is a kingdom issue.”
