Testimony
Full Name: Thomas Alva Edison
Parents: Samuel Ogden Edison and Nancy Matthews Edison
Birthplace: Milan, Ohio, USA
Date of Birth: February 11, 1847
Date of Death: October 18, 1931
Personal Testimony:
Thomas Alva Edison was born on February 11, 1847, in Milan, a small town in the state of Ohio, USA. He was the youngest of seven children born to Samuel and Nancy Edison. As a child, Edison was weak in health and slow to learn. He often struggled to understand what others said, and because of this, his classmates and even teachers made fun of him.
When Edison was seven years old, his teacher once told his mother that he was “too slow to learn and not fit for school.” Those words broke his mother Nancy’s heart. But instead of giving up, she stood boldly and said,
“If my son does not become greater than all of you, I will no longer call myself a child of God!”
She took her son home, prayed with tears, and began teaching him herself. She made her home his classroom. With her constant prayers, patience, and love, she taught him to read, write, and think. God answered her tearful prayers — young Edison began to grow in wisdom and understanding.
At the age of sixteen, Edison got his first job as a telegraph operator. Later, with his mother’s encouragement and God’s help, he set up his own small laboratory to experiment and learn more about science.
Invention of the Electric Bulb:
Edison spent years working to create an electric light bulb. He failed many times, but before every new attempt, he would pray to God and ask for help. Finally, on September 4, 1882, in New York City, after much hard work and prayer, he succeeded.
Before thousands of people who stood in darkness, he switched on the power — and 1,000 bulbs lit up at once! The whole area was filled with bright light. People cheered loudly, shouting that darkness had finally been defeated.
Edison’s Testimony about God:
When people praised him and asked him to speak, Edison humbly said:
“It was my mother’s tearful prayers that made me what I am today. Her prayers turned me from an ordinary boy into the man you now see.”
He then spoke about how the Bible had inspired him. He shared how one day, while listening to his pastor preach, he heard Job 28:3 —
“Man puts an end to darkness, and searches out the farthest limit for the ore in gloom and deep shadow.”
His pastor explained this verse spiritually, teaching that man must come out of the darkness of sin into the light of Christ. But Edison took it literally and decided to find a way to bring light to the physical world.
He said,
“It was this Bible verse, Job 28:3, that inspired me to invent the electric bulb.”
Edison discovered the light bulb in 1879, and in 1882, he successfully demonstrated it in public. He always gave credit to God’s Word and his mother’s prayers for his success.
Famous Quote:
“My mother’s prayers made me a man. Her tearful prayers are the reason I stand before you as a great person today.”
To God be the glory. Amen. 🙏💡