Only then can I respond properly to my circumstances. And it's a delightful activity. Well, we have music and poetry, but it's not exactly psalm-like. That's okay, at least at the start. The point is honest expression.
Psalms are one way of patterning that expression.
And there are many kinds of patterns, though all of them are designed to bring God into the stories we tell. We use the patterns to express praise, thanksgiving, lament, and celebration. So, yeah, there are patterns. Not always, but most of the time. And that's okay.