Theists believe in a supernatural intelligence who, in addition to his main work of creating the universe, is still around to oversee and influence the subsequent fate of his initial creation. In many theistic belief systems, the deity is intimately involved in human affairs. He answers prayers (and even appears to crave them), forgives or punishes sins, intervenes in the world by performing miracles, concerns himself about good and bad deeds, and knows when we do them, or even when we think of doing them. He is fully informed at all times.
Deism also involves belief in a supernatural intelligence, but one whose activities were confined to setting up the laws that govern the universe in the first place and got the ball rolling. The deist god never intervenes thereafter, and certainly has no particular interest in human affairs. Deist differ from theist in that their god does not answer prayers, is not interested in sins or confessions, does not read our thoughts and does not intervene with capricious miracles.
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