One of the best books I've read in recent years is John Kleinig's "Grace Upon Grace." I discovered some journal entries I made while reading the book so I wanted to share some of Kleinig's thoughts with you. Hopefully, they will be an encouragement to you.
When the people who had been miraculously fed by Jesus with five loaves of bread and two small fish asked how they could do the work of God, Jesus gave them a strange answer: He said by believing in God the Father. His work would be done in them and through them (John 6:28-29). How then do we do the of God through faith? How do we become "co-workers with God" (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor. 6:1; 1 Thess. 3:2)? Through faith we are joined with Christ and His mission on earth; we work with Christ by using our faith to pray together with Him to God the Father. We do not do the work of God on earth in prayer; rather, His work is done in and through us by prayer )Matt. 18:19; 21:21-22).
In John 14:12-14, Jesus gives these amazing promises: "Truly, truly I say to you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I do; and greater work than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in MY name, this will I do that the Father be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it."
We continue the divine work of Jesus and perform the greater miracles of the new age where those who we born blind to God receive sight and those who were once dead in sin are raised to eternal life. And we accomplish this by prayer to God the Father in the name of Jesus.
When we pray for others and ourselves, we continue the work of Jesus. It is, in fact, the most important work we ever do...When we pray for God's support and guidance in our work and the people we work with, we live by His grace and rely on Him to do His work through us.
