Rebbe Nachman says that the Tzaddikim are likened to the soul of the national body. The Tzaddik is always transmitting God's will and God's blessing to his people. The people, playing the role of the body, can't always pick up these transmissions, unless they have purified themselves. How do the people cleanse themselves so that they may receive the word of God through the Tzaddikim?
This actually relates to this past week's parashah, Parashath Yitro, in which God tells Mosheh to tell the people to purify themselves for three days so that they will be ready and able to hear God's voice, to receive the Torah directly from him. Rebbe Nachman explains (again) that through the proper and correct performance of the mitzwoth, the people open themselves up to the voices of the Tzaddikim, that they may receive the words of God.
In a sense, just the desire to perform the mitzwoth correctly opens the people up to the words of the Tzaddikim, because they need to seek them out and ask them to explain the proper performance of the mitzwoth, so at it's essence (to my mind anyways) clarification on the macro scale is emunat hachamim --faith in the Tzaddikim-- that we turn to them to seek out instruction and leadership for our individual lives.
Other related posts about the knowledge of tzaddikim (Baal Shem Tov had instantaneous access to all knowledge) (Scorning Rebbes is diluting the truth)
[Note: Zchus Avos was nice enough to compile a list of Sifrei Kodesh that are said to have a specific segulah associated with it: (via A Simple Jew) sefarim with segulot via ZechusAvos]
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