Providence

Providence is the Latin word for foresight, and prudence. In religious parlance, it has come to mean the protective care of God in the present and the future. Divine providence means God's intervention in the world. General providence means God's continual upholding of existence and natural order. God's special providence means God's extraordinary intervention in the life of people (e.g. miracles and guidance). 

Annuit Cœptis means "He approves of the undertakings." Novus Ordo Seclorum means "New order of the ages". The pyramid is a symbol of strength and duration, but is unfinished, because the nation will become even more powerful and prosperous because God is watching over the nation and will guide it, approving of what we are doing, He will help. If we do good, he will help prosper.

The eye of providence (or the all-seeing eye of God) is a symbol of an eye surrounded by rays of light showing glory and enclosed in a triangle to show it is the eye of the Trinitarian God.  It represents God watching over humanity. In Calvinism this idea is important because if there is no freedom and everything is predestined, then God must have everything planned and is actively intervening continually to keep things happening.  While much of the modern church has rejected Calvinism with regards to not having free will for choosing God, strangely many have kept this idea of fate and God directly, continually intervening in our everyday affairs (which is the opposite of reality).This idea was also very prevalent in the puritans who founded the US, so it is on the back of Seal of the US, which is on the back of the one dollar bill.

However, there are two types of care that often are confused: physical care and spiritual care. When the Bible says in Romans 8:28 that "in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."  This does not mean physically, but spiritually. This is clear from the rest of scripture that explains how we will have hardships in this life and be persecuted for our faith.  Of course God could work for our good physically and does, by providing our daily bread, but he has not promised us good lives before the resurrection.

Lutheran theology affirms God's preservation of creation, guiding of the universe (General Providence) mostly through His cooperation, allowing, and concurrence all that happens. For us personally, rather than physical care and special providence, God's providence is our spiritual care via word and sacraments. preservation of the church through all ages, preservation of his Word, through the Bible (i.e. VDMA).

Many cultures had a similar symbol, but only Chritianity attached the idea of God actively engaged in creation to it.

A "God's Eye" (Ojo De Dios in spanish), is an ancient religious, ritual, and magical object made from yarn of different colors and wood for many indiginous people of the Americas (especially in central America). It was normally part of a meditation ritual, where it symbolized of the power to see and understand things unknown. Some Christians have adopted the God's eye as a symbol of the eye of providence, and many today consider it a children's craft with no spiritual or religious meaning.

The eye of Horus is an ancient Egyptian symbol of protection and royal power. It was supposed to ward off evil and protect people.