Theology recognizes 4 "works" of God: creation, providence, redemption, and   judgment. This is a study of providence.
How providence differs from 2 other worldviews:

 A. A chart:
                           FATALISM                           HUMANISM                           PROVIDENCE
                                GOD                                     GOD                                            GOD
                                MAN                                     MAN                                           MAN
                          OUTCOME                             OUTCOME                                OUTCOME

An explanation:

    Fatalism is the belief that all events are determined either by fate or by "the gods" or by Allah or by an unseen Force and are hence inevitable. The Fatalists' Creed: "Whatever will be will be." Secondary causes (human actions or prayer) are not considered.

    Humanism is the belief that man, in and of himself, is capable of solving human problems and meeting human needs.
There is no recourse to the supernatural. Man is in control of his own destiny.

3. Providence is the belief that God is the guiding power of the universe.

    Ps. 103:9 "The Lord has established His throne in heaven and His kingdom rules over all."
        Not only did God create all things, but also upholds, preserves, and He sustains all things:
    Col 1:16,17  "He is before all things and in all things and in Him all things hold together."
        (EVEN WHEN THINGS SEEM TO BE FALLING APART)

God provides for His creatures
    Ps 36:6,8  "O Lord, you preserve both man and beast…They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights."  (DAILY BREAD)

God regulates the seasons
    Dan 2:21  "He changes the times of the seasons." (A DELIGHTFUL CHANGE!)

God controls the cycles of nature
    Gen 8:22  "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease." (GLOBAL WARMING?)

b. God expresses His goodwill toward everything He has made
     Ps 145:9  "The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all He has made."

c. Since God's loving care extends to even the smallest and most fragile of His creatures, how much more must He care about you and me!

Scripture:
    Mt 6:26-30  "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
    Mt 10:29-31 "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."
Song: "His Eye is on the Sparrow"  ("and I know He watches me")

d. God can actively intervene in His creation anytime He wants to do so.
    God can intervene in nature
        By bringing a "natural disaster" – Gen 6:17  "I even I, am going to bring flood waters on the earth."  ('AWE')
        By reversing a "natural disaster" and bringing a blessing –
            Ps 107:35  "He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs."

    God can intervene in the affairs of men
        By bringing a healing (or other good thing) – Mark 1:40-42  "Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured."
        By causing a disease (or other calamity) – Num 12:1,9,10  "There stood Miriam leprous, like snow."

    God often chooses to work His purposes through human beings.
        St. Augustine's statement: "Without God, I cannot; without me; God will not."
        Example: Rom 10:14 "Can they hear without someone preaching to them?"  (Wm. Carey- missionary to India; father of modern Protestant missions)

    Believers should take seriously the fact that God has given them the privilege of "cooperating" with Him.
        Phil 2:12,13  "Continue to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His purpose."

    The fact that God chooses to work with and through sinful human beings does not make Him the author of their sin
         Job 34:10-12  "It is unthinkable that God would do wrong."

    Men are accountable for their own actions
         2 Cor 5:10  "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad."

    Men are free moral agents, entrusted with the responsibility of making good choices
         Josh. 24:15  "Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve."

    God directs all things, good and evil, to their appointed end
         Eph 1:11  "God works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will."

    God's workings include not only the end of any action but also the means by which that action will come to pass
        – (the doctrine of "decreed means") Isa 38:21  "Prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil and he will recover"
           (USE OF MEDICINE)

    God's working in the believer's life is always for his ultimate good
         Rom 8:28 (CONDITIONAL PROMISE)  "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose."

    Believers are responsible for recognizing God's "decreed means" of helping them when those means present themselves
         (2 boats and a helicopter story)

"A man named Smith was sitting on his roof during a flood, and the water was up to his feet. Before long a fellow in a canoe paddled past and shouted, "Can I give you a lift to higher ground?" "No thanks," said Smith. "I have faith in the Lord and he will save me." Soon the water rose to Smith's waist. At this point a motorboat pulled up and someone called out, "Can I give you a lift to higher ground?" "No thanks. I have faith in the Lord and he will save me." Later a helicopter flew by, and Smith was now standing on the roof with water up to his neck. "Grab the rope," yelled the pilot. "I'll pull you up." "No thanks," said Smith. "I have faith in the Lord and he will save me." But after hours of treading water, poor, exhausted Smith drowned and went to his reward. As he arrived at the Pearly Gates, Smith met his maker and complained about this turn of events. "Tell me, Lord," he said. "I had such faith in you to save me and you let me down. What happened?" To which the Lord replied, "What do you want from me? I sent you two boats and a helicopter!"

A Personal Application
God cares for you and me; we are special to Him; we have a vital part in God's overall plan.
When it appears there is no rhyme or reason to what is happening in our lives, it is helpful to remind ourselves that God is indeed with us (even when we don't sense His presence), actively working all things for our good (even things that are bad).
Our obligation is to stay personally connected to God through His Word and through prayer: then watch what He will do!

III. How God Moves

IV. The Nature of "Effectual Prayer" – James 5:16 (KJV)
A Chart

                                        GOD                      GOD             GOD

                                   God's Word                Man's             God's                             All Glory
                                     (A Burden)               Prayer              Answer                          To God

                                        MAN                     MAN

An Explanation
    God burdens the Christian to pray by speaking to him/her through His Word.
    The Christian prays in obedience to God's command and in accordance with God's will.
    God answers the prayer He has burdened His child to express.
    All glory goes to God, who chooses to work through the prayers of faithful men/women to accomplish His plans on Planet
       Earth.