Did you know Thomas Jefferson edited his own Bible? I found it here. Apparently he wanted to focus on Jesus rather than on his miracles? What doctrine might have influenced Jefferson? (And have you read his version?)
Sure -- I am familiar with this Bible. Actually, it's just the New Testament. Jefferson's project is fairly well known. (Ask any UVA student!) But no, I haven’t read it yet.
Jefferson was a deist, influenced by the Enlightenment, with its rejection of the miraculous. Deists believed that God set the world in motion, then withdrew. In the face of the rational, there is no need to pray, nor should we expect divine intervention. This is in contrast to theism (belief in a personal God), which accepts both miracles and the efficacy of prayer.
For more, I would read one of the numerous biographies of Jefferson. (There are many!)
