God helps 'if'?

My mother worries a lot, to say the least, so hopefully you'll understand my view point on this.

Let me start with this- My wife and mother work in the same place. My mother was talking about some people in a completely different section getting laid off their job, though my mom and wife's section is safe. But my mother continues to say how we need to be wise with our decisions, which I agree, but it boils down to a point where it seems that her faith depends on self. What can 'I' do to make it work, y'know?
I believe that faith in God is greater than my own personal wisdom. Don't get me wrong here, I don't want to run out in the middle of a busy highway and have faith that God will protect me, I know that would be stupid...

Here's the meat of all this. I made the statement that I believe in my God being my provider and I trust in Him. She said that the Bible has little "if's" in it that as long as I do this then He'll help me or whatever.
I believe that He is my provider
I believe that I can only please Him by faith
I believe that if I have the faith the size of a mustard seed I can move mountains
I believe that He will never leave me nor forsake me
I believe that He promised to always be with me

Now my question is, outside of living a righteous life, what "if's" are there in the Bible that say, "God will be there for you 'if' "?

Because all I ever see is God's people move forward when there was no where to go, but God made the way.

That's what I figured. I couldn't imagine a 'if' outside of sin.

Yeah, my mother's philosophy is that God helps you as long as you help yourself. I understand the meaning of work ethic, but I don't think she believes that God wants to bless us more than we ourselves want to be blessed.
I remember she looked on the apostles deaths (the gruesome ones) as a bad thing, where I see it as a beautiful thing.
I don't know if I should just go on and just 'agree to disagree' or what... but I still hold true to my look on the Bibles teachings.