What you were saying about prayer was interesting too, I'm not sure that any sophisticated theist would believe in the description of the higher power you describe, as I've read and thought about religion I've come to appreciate its relationship to atheism, the two go together and dont exist independently one of the other. In my opinion at least.
Although in my reading about divine providence it is not so much about petition of the divine, it actively tries to discourage that, you may make known what you want but you dont give it any thought beyond that and if it is divinely ordained it will happen. Its a little like believing in the other since of the word, not a question of deciding that God exists but deciding you trust God, there is a equivocal relationship between friends or partners in everyday life, there's no question of the other existing but you need to believe/trust in them to have any sort of relationship with them. Another way would be say you rely upon them or can rely upon them or find them reliable.
The only thing I would say about this is that which is kind of curious is that there have been things I've boldy petitioned God about which have apparently come to pass, from the minor to the relative to myself more major, I've really learned the lesson of being careful what you ask for and that there's two tradgedies in life, one not to get your own desire and another to get it. Its often something which requires a lot of reflection, discernment and careful anticipation to make any good of it.
Two or three times I had relationship success with people which was seriously against the odds, I mean people who were totally and utterly out of my league but who I'd petitioned and appealed and low and behold it came to pass but I sabotaged it all in some frankly baffling ways, I was just totally unprepared for what I'd willed to actually come to pass. One of the situations steming from that I truly regret.
