When someone asks me, “What are the Psalms?” I often hear a deeper longing beneath the question. Many of us come to the Psalms not out of curiosity, but out of need—when words fail us, when joy overflows, or when sorrow feels too heavy to carry alone. This question touches the heart of prayer itself: How do we speak to God with honesty and trust?
The Psalms are a collection of sacred prayers and songs found in the Old Testament, traditionally numbering 150. They were written over many centuries by different authors—most famously King David—and they express the full range of human emotion before God. In the Psalms, we find praise and thanksgiving, lament and repentance, hope and longing. They teach us that nothing in the human heart is foreign to God.
The Church has always treasured the Psalms because they shape our prayer. Jesus Himself prayed the Psalms, especially in moments of suffering, such as on the Cross when He cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When we pray the Psalms, we are united not only with generations of believers, but with Christ Himself, who gives perfect voice to our deepest cries.
For daily life, the Psalms remind us that prayer does not require perfect words—only an open heart. Whether whispered in fear or sung in joy, these ancient prayers help us place our lives honestly before God. They invite us to trust that even in confusion or silence, the Lord is listening and drawing us closer to His faithful love.
May the Psalms teach us to pray with truth, courage, and hope, trusting that God meets us in every season of the heart.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
