Preach to the dry bones; trust the Spirit

"It is as we preach God's word that people are born again. God is able to work when, where and how he chooses to work but we observe that where men go out and preach in his name people are born again but where they are not able to do that such things are much more scarce.

Like Ezekiel we are to preach to the dry bones and trust the Spirit of God to bring life. People need to accept ‘the word planted in you, which can save you’ not merely listening to the word but doing what it says (Jas 1:21, 22). Paul tells how he came to Thessalonica and preached successfully. What made the difference was that they accepted his preaching ‘not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe’. This is why they turned ‘to God from idols to serve the living and true God’ (2 Thess 2:13, 1 Thess 1:9).
When we ask what causes the new birth, we must say that it originates with God who transforms people by the Spirit and is possible because of what Christ has done on the cross. It usually happens as the Word of God is preached."

From my book What the Bible teaches about being born again, p 100