What are the Psalms and what do they teach us?

Are the Psalms examples of private or public prayer? Do they have anything to teach us about corporate prayer?

The Psalms are both private prayers made public and public prayers. Some are intensely private but are recorded so that all can share in their theological wrestling (e.g.Psalm 51), others such as the Psalms of ascent are designed to be sung by congregations as they go up to Jerusalem to praise God.

They are theology wrestled through in light of experience and they have much to teach is about the character of God, our experience of life and how to pray both privately and publicly.