What are the Psalms about?
The Psalms are Israel’s prayer-and-song book — 150 inspired poems covering the full range of life with God: praise, lament, thanksgiving, repentance, wisdom, and royal hope. The Psalms teach us how to talk to God honestly.
About half are laments — honest cries from suffering. The Psalms give us permission to bring grief, anger, doubt, and confusion to God in words he himself inspired.
Many psalms point forward to Messiah (Psalms 2, 22, 110). Jesus quoted Psalms more than any other OT book; the early church read them as Christ’s own prayers and ours.
Practically: pray a psalm a day. Use them when your own words run out. They will train you to pray everything.
Original BibleDawn answer · reviewed 2026-06. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.