LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
4MAT Book Review
Spiritual Leadership: Moving People on to God's Agenda
Submitted to Dan Burrell
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
DSMN 660
Leading the Healthy, Growing, Multiplying Church
By Margaret Humphrey
January 28, 2023
DSMN 660
Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................. 3
Abstract……….. ......................................................................................................................... 3
Concrete Response....................................................................................................................... 5
Relection…….............................................................................................................................. 6
Action………………................................................................................................................... 7
Summary…………….................................................................................................................. 9
Bibliography..................................................................................................................................10
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Introducation
"Spiritual Leadership: Moving People on to God's Agenda" by Henry Blackaby is a an
engagind and refreshing book that delves into the theories of spiritual leadership and the
importance these concepts and disciplines have in our current culture. Blackaby shares the idea
that true Christian leaders are not those who only have a authorative position, but rather theya re
led by Christ and have understanding that is rooted in the Word and suspectible of God's will.
This enables them to inspire and guide others to fulfill it His will in their lives. Through personal
stories and parables, and based on biblical references, Blackaby presents a comprehensive
understanding of the need for spiritual leaders to be Spirit filled and how to cultivate the qualities
necessary to lead others on their own path towards God's plan.
Abstract
"Spiritual Leadership: Moving People on to God's Agenda" by Henry Blackaby is an
essential read for anyone looking to elevate their leadership skills and techniques and align their
behaviors with God's agenda. This book is like a spiritual Ted Talk, it is overflowing with
inspiration and wisdom that will give the reader the boldness to move past their comfort zone
and trust in the plan God has. Blackaby writes, “We hope by reading this material you will gain a
clear sense of your role as a spiritual leader and you will focus on accomplishing what God has
called you to do.”1
Blackaby's writing style is relateable and enjoyable to read. He shares various personal
stories from his experiences as a teacher, motivator and leader, which helps to bring the thoughts
and disciples discussed to life and makes this book feel conversational with an experienced man
1 Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby, Spiritual Leadership: Moving People on to God’s Agenda (Nashville,
TN: B&H Books, 2011), 31–32.
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of God and mentor. The tone of the book and the ease of read encourages the reader to press on,
“If you have grown discouraged in your leadership role, take heart! God sees your sacrifice. He
knows your pain. Even though people may never know all you did on their behalf, God does, and
his reward is with him (Isa. 40:10).”2
Blackaby emphasizes the importance of intentionally listening to the voice of God and
the importance of following His lead in the leadership roles He place us in. Blackaby takes time
to encourage his readers to priortize God in their leadership and to identify and glorify the impact
that can have on those we lead and those with whome we share life. This book is a compelling
reminder that we, as leaders, should consistenly strive to be aligned with God's agenda and not
our own. Chapter 7 primarily focuses on the discipline of prayer and the role it plays in
leadership, “More than any other single thing leaders do, their prayer life determines their
effectiveness. If leaders spend enough time communing with God, the people they encounter will
notice the difference.”3
Another discipline leaders often struggle with that Blackaby addresses in an effective and
culturally relevant manner is that of time management and the sin of busyness. “No one should
determine leaders’ schedules but themselves, as God guides them. They must understand God’s
will and, from that perspective, set their priorities. Doing so requires identifying the most
important things in their lives and arranging their schedules so none of these priorities are
neglected.”4 Leaders are encouraged throught the book to embarace organization and Blackaby
takes the time to explain why and provide motivation for a change. “Once they arrange their time
2 Ibid., 370.
3 Ibid., 185.
4 Ibid., 272.
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into manageable blocks and eliminate the superfluous, they find they have enough time in the
day to accomplish all God is leading them to do.”5
Overall, "Spiritual Leadership" is a timeless book that will inspire leaderst to be better
and do better, Blackaby takes the opportunity to guide the reader on a journey towards becoming
a spiritual leader that is empowered and encouraged to put God first and focus on leading others
and spending time with people. Blackaby centers the text on the one statement that “Spiritual
leadership is not an occupation: it is a calling”6 The reader can relate to the text, learn from it and
use its disciplines to reach those who are far from Christ.
Concrete Response
“Spiritual Leadesship” is a book that spurs the reader to consider disciplines that need
evaluating and changed to develop into the leader that God has envisioned for our lives. There
were a few chapters thoughout the book that resonated with me on a personal level and one that I
feel obliged to share a personal story of which I was reminded. In Chapter Eight Blackaby shares
about the importance of decision making and the necessity of discernement throught intimacy
with God. “God doesn’t want people attempting to do what they think is best but what he knows
is best. No amount of reasoning and intellectualizing will discover that; God himself must reveal
it. The Holy Spirit reveals God’s will through four primary avenues: prayer, Scripture, other
believers, and circumstances.”7
Prayer is the discipline that resonates with me, and the one that I would consider to be
the most elusive in my current routine. Prayer is not something that I have been able to achieve
5 Ibid., 270.
6 Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby, Spiritual Leadership: Moving People on to God’s Agenda (Nashville,
TN: B&H Books, 2011), xiv.
7 Ibid., 220–221.
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on a deeply intimate level. I have recently identified that the majority of my prayer life is surface
level and ritual. This is not a bad thing entirely. It is however not what I would consider God’s
plan for my prayer life, or my leadership. After reading this book I was reluctant and surprised to
agree that “The Holy Spirit guides through prayer. Prayer is the leader’s connection with the one
who promised: “Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things
you do not know” (Jer. 33:3),” 8 and that my leadership has plateaued because my prayer life has
stalled. I was able to share my insights with my mentor and her surprise at my statement “my
prayers are surface level” both caused her to pity me and saddened her. I honestly am not sure if
she believed me, I did assure her that when she asks me for prayer, I do in fact pray for her, but
this is not the praying I am talking about. I have become so ritualistic in my prayers that I have
failed to spend quality intimate time with God and have raced through my prayer life to complete
a task at hand. God desires to spend time with me and although, it is my errant thought that His
presence is my desire, I have failed to recognize that although I crave time with Him, He return
craves time with me. My prayer life has been one-sided, at most.
Reflection
I have read this book with a desire to reflect, learn and communicate more effectively with my
peers and my family. At the end of each chapter Blackaby proposes questions that should cause
the reader to dig deeper in his or her life and find ways to grow as a leader, this reflection has
caused me to consider how the handling of criticism in the church differs that that of the secular
world. There are a few aspects this book considers, but the one I struggled with the most, and had
hoped the author would dig deeper into is the role humility plays in behaviors leaders desire.
8 Ibid., 221.
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In Chapter 12 the reader is asked to consider “Do you tend toward optimism or cynicism?
What are two things you could do to guard yourself against a negative spirit?”9 Although this
question seems to encourage the reader to define both the spirit of optimism and cynicism, there
is a lack of consideration for the role humility plays in both states. Blackaby has a section on
humility but fails to coorealte humility and either state. Blackaby states that “Ironically, few
things are as powerful as leaders who view themselves with an accurate and humble
perspective.”10 I would ask that the author expand on this and consider that when we truly
humble ourselves we are more closely aligned with the word of God and obedient to His plan in
such a way that optimism becomes the standard viewpoint we consider.
Action
There are three action steps I plan to implement to approtiatly and intentionally apply the
concepts shared in the book. Prayer, time management and mental laziness are challenges that
can cause a leader to stumble and fail to recognize the desire for God’s plan in their life. Each
concept is an individual discipline yet they are all building blocks for other concepts and each
one empowers leaders to develop their leadership skills. Well developed leaders are obedient to
the Word of God and more successful at creating disciples who are relational with Christ.
Prayer is my first discipline to identify and rectify. This is a foundational discipline that
encompasses all other disciplines and is a necessary trait to hear the word of God. My innermost
desire is to be overflowing with the Holy Spirit and to be able to lead others in such a way that
they question my faith. “While all Christians have the Holy Spirit’s presence in their lives, the
condition of being filled by the Holy Spirit comes through concentrated, fervent, sanctified
9 Ibid., 349.
10 Ibid., 177.
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prayer. God’s promise is: “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your
heart” (Jer. 29:13). Without the Spirit’s activity, people may be leaders, but they are not spiritual
leaders.”11 I am blessed enough to have a mentor to hold me accountable and am disciplined
enough to document in my journal on a daily basis the thoughts, prayers and answers God shares
with me. I believe by doing this consistently for three months I will have created a relational
dependency with God and be eager to be in His presence in a more intimate level.
Time management is a skill that I have not had the desire or seen the necessity to
consider. Having a clear understand of the need to manage my time so that God can prepare and
equip me to be a more effective disciple and leader. “There is no way to satisfy the desires of all
the people who clamor for their time, so leaders must subjugate their schedule to God’s will and
invest themselves in those activities and projects most critical.”12 The devil will keep us busy to
keep us from God and this realization encourages me to be intentional in my tasks. “Following
Jesus as their model, when leaders understand God’s will, parceling out their time becomes
straightforward.”13 Documenting my tasks and priotizing them in a daily calendar should help me
to be considerate of my time and Gods desire for my life.
Mental laziness is a new term for me, and one that once understood has become
determintal to my leadership. I am a reader by nature and have prided myself on my innate desire
to learn and reseach for personal satisfication. However, after reading the section on mental
laziness I am determined to read, learn and discover more so that my leadership will not stall and
grow limited. “Problem solving is an essential function of leadership; therefore leaders cannot
afford to become intellectually stagnant. Good leaders never stop learning.”14 Blackaby reminds
the reader that “Jesus helped his disciples grow as leaders by teaching them to process their
11 Ibid., 183-184
12 Ibid., 245.
13 Ibid., 247.
14 Ibid., 328.
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circumstances”15 and this example is aligned with His plan for each disciple. His desire is for
each of us to “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with
all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37, NIV), this commandment emphasizes God’s desire for our
minds to work in tandem with our hearts. Our minds are part of the process of being aligne diwht
God. I plan to continue reading and to do so with the intention of further my knowledge of Him
and understand His word at a more intimate level.
Summary
"Spiritual Leadership: Moving People on to God's Agenda" empowerd and encouraged
me to be a leader who is intentionally in relationship with God and to be more dependant on the
Holy Spirit rather than to be comfortable in the skills of my human knowledge. This book is a
great read and one that belongs on the bookshelf of every leader and one that should be reread as
a ode to spiritual growth. This book encourages readers in each chapter to take a deeper look at
their own spiritual lives and work to understand how they can use their own personal gifts and
abilities to serve others and advance the kingdom of God.
15 Ibid., 329.
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Bibliography
Blackaby, Henry T., and Richard Blackaby. Spiritual Leadership: Moving People on to God's
Agenda. Pretoria, VA: Heart Cry, 2017.
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