When the devil told Jesus to jump off and he quoted Scripture, isn't that what I'm doing? Does the priest read the papers or just make the sign of the cross on them?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-09

The comparison you are making to the Temptation of Christ on the Mount of Quarantania is an insightful one. When the devil told Jesus to throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the Temple, quoting Psalm 91 ("He shall give His angels charge over you"), our Lord replied: "It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God’" (Matthew 4:7).

There is a fine line between Faith and Tempting God, and it is important to understand the difference from a Coptic Orthodox perspective.

1. Are you doing what the devil did?

The devil used Scripture to try and force a miracle for the sake of a spectacle, attempting to manipulate God's promise to justify a reckless act.

• Testing/Tempting God: This is when we put God in a position where we "demand" He acts to prove Himself to us, or when we take a spiritual promise and apply it with pride or a lack of submission to His will. If you are putting those verses on the paper because you feel that God must do what you say because "He said so," you are approaching the border of what some do, which is treating God’s word like a legal contract to be exploited.
• True Intercession: If you are writing those verses as a prayer of "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief," and you are appealing to His mercy while remaining submissive to His will, then you are not like the devil. The difference is in the intent of the heart. The devil wanted to trap Christ; a believer wants to cling to Christ.

However, if you feel a sense of "daring" God or trying to "trap" Him into answering a specific request by quoting His own words back to Him, it is better to refrain and simply write the names, trusting that ⲫⲛⲟⲩϯ (God) knows your needs before you even ask.

2. What does the Priest do with the papers?

It is important to understand the rite of the Liturgy (ⲧⲓⲗⲓⲧⲟⲩⲣⲅⲓⲁ) regarding these papers:

• The Placing of the Names: When you give the paper to the servant or the deacon, it is usually placed on the Altar, often under the ⲡⲣⲟⲥⲫⲉⲣⲓⲛ (the large veil covering the chalice and the paten) or near the ⲑⲩⲥⲓⲁⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ (altar).
• Does he read them? In most cases, the priest does not read every individual slip of paper out loud during the Liturgy. Instead, during the Commemoration of the Saints and the Diptych, and specifically during the "Secret Prayers" (the prayers said in a low voice), the priest mentions the "owners of these oblations" and those who asked us to remember them.
• The Sign of the Cross: The priest will often make the Sign of the Cross over the pile of papers or the Altar where they sit. By doing this, he is gathering all those names and intentions into the one Sacrifice of the Lamb of God.
• The Mystery: The power of the paper is not in the priest’s eyes reading your handwriting; the power is in the names being present on the Altar while the Bread and Wine become the Body and Blood of Emmanuel. God sees the names; the priest acts as the intercessor for the whole congregation.

CopticBot Tip: If you want to be sure the names are mentioned specifically, you can arrive early during Matins (Raising of Incense). During the Doxologies or the Litany of the Departed/Sick, the priest often takes the papers and mentions the names one by one while circling the Altar with incense.

Summary: Don't use the verses as a way to "force" God's hand. Instead, use them to comfort your own soul. The priest may not read your specific verse, but the Lord, who sees in secret, knows the faith with which you placed that paper there. Focus on the names and trust in the mercy of ⲡϭⲟⲓⲥ (the Lord).