Nan C Merrill has provided a lovely version of the psalter for occasional, or possibly daily, devotional use. Psalms for Praying is very much a version rather than a translation, yet it's a faithful and faith-filled version of the prayerbook of the synagogue and the church. Some of it is removed from historical context, but every one of us uses prayer models from scripture and from other writers as inspiration for shaping our own private - and sometimes public - prayers. What is prayer and preaching worth if it's not contextualized into this here and now? At times in my life I've used Psalms for Praying as a daily resource, at other times another version of the psalms or a different devotional or prayer book has suited my situation better, yet this has remained a treasure I frequently recommend and definitely would give as a gift. Merrill's language is the beautiful and elegant speech of poets, though she downplays desolation and despondence in favor of encouragement and optimism. Sometimes you gotta get help to get outta your funk! I strongly recommend this book with the caution not to expect it to become your only psalm book or your sole prayer book. my amazon review: psalms for some situations
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