Zechariah 8:23
"Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you."
There is something missing in today's Christianity. When you look at the works of Christianity in years gone by, you will clearly see that they had something that this generation did not have. They did not have the technologies that we have today, yet they seemed to reach more people than we are today. The one thing Christians from yesteryear clearly understood was that they needed God, and they were willing to do whatever it took to get His presence in their lives.
God told the Jews that the day would come when people would say, "We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you." Something happened that would cause people to want to go with them. You find out what it was in verses 20-21 where it says, "Thus saith the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also." They found out that the secret to get God with you was to "pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts."
These people understood that it wasn't learning a new technology that would get God on their side, but it was getting alone with Him and seeking His face that caused it to happen. It wasn't going to some Bible conference to learn systems and methods of growing a church that enabled them to get God on their side, but it was His people getting alone with Him and seeking His presence and power in their lives. That is what caused them to gather crowds from all nations. That is what caused God to get on their side.
People want to follow someone who has God working with them. People are eager to jump on the bandwagon when God is doing something through a person. All you have to do is look through the Scriptures and see that when God was working through a man the people followed.
Preacher, if you want people to follow you, then get God on your side and they will follow. Parents, if you want your children to follow you, then get God on your side and they will follow. Leader, if you want your followers to follow you, then get God on your side and they will follow.
Christian, you will never get God on your side and people to follow you when you never spend time alone with Him seeking His face. When is the last time you got away from everything and fell on your face before God to seek His presence in your life? Don't you long for God to do something through you? You can try everything to get people to follow you, but the answer is to get God on your side. When people see that God is with you, then they will follow. If you truly want God's presence in your life, then get alone and beg Him to get involved with you. You may get a few people to follow you without God's presence, but His presence in your life is what will cause people to say, "We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you."