The Psalms, says theologian Eugene H. Peterson, are God's gift to those who want to learn how to pray.
"If we wish to develop our entire heart, mind, soul and strength, the Psalms are necessary," the author of the bestselling "Message Bible" writes in "Answering God: The Psalms as Tools for Prayer." "We cannot bypass the Psalms."
Christine Hodge, a member of Ojai Valley Community Church in Ventura County, came to that realization last year when she joined 70 other women in a nine-week course on the Psalms.
Praying the Psalms has taught her that she can share everything with God, said Hodge, a freelance writer with young children.
"It showed me that it's OK to tell God anything -- that you are mad, sad, angry," she said. "Before I studied the Psalms, I'd tell God everything except I was mad at him."
She now finds her relationship with the divine more intimate and complete. "I think God wants us to be honest with him," she said.
Why do some people find the Psalms such a powerful vehicle for prayer? Theologians say the answer lies in their vast variety, emotional honesty and occasional bluntness.
"What's so wonderful about the Psalms is that they're a keyboard that plays every song," said the Rev. Ron Rolheiser, a Roman Catholic priest and an expert on praying the Psalms.
"What makes the Psalms great for prayer is that they do not hide the truth from God," said Rolheiser, president of Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. "They give honest voice to what is actually going on in our minds and hearts."
Ancient Hebrew poetry, the terms "Psalms" and "Psalter" come from Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures.
A "collection of collections," believed to have been completed around the 3rd century BC, the 150 Psalms represent the final stage in a process that spanned centuries, according to a commentary in the New International Version, the bestselling English Bible translation today. The Psalms served as the prayers and songs in temples and synagogues.
Rabbi Miriyam Glazer, a professor of literature at American Jewish University in Los Angeles, says the Psalms "draw for their power and rhythm on the vocabulary and literary techniques" of ancient Hebrew poetry, which was influenced by the hymns and poetry of neighboring cultures.
