The Los Angeles Times recently had a good article about the benefits of praying the Psalms. Here is a brief quote from the introduction:

“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.”

You can read the article here: Psalms offer source of inspiration for prayer