1 Kings 3; 5-11
"We generally think of Satan attacking us at our weakest spot... But weakness is not our only vulnerability. Satan can also attack us where we think we are strong--in the very areas where we are proud of our strengths. He will approach us through the greatest talents and spiritual gifts we possess. If we are not wary, Satan can cause our spiritual downfall by corrupting us through our strengths as well as by exploiting our weaknesses."
Early in the life of King Solomon, he was a man of wisdom, asking the Lord for great spiritual gifts, but because Satan attacked him where he thought he was strong, he became a man of foolishness, marrying non-Israelite women who persuaded him to worship idols towards the end of his life.
Man of Wisdom
King Solomon was asked by the Lord in a dream what he wanted the Lord to give him. (A spiritual gift was not the first thing to cross my mind.) King Solomon responded in this way:
Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
The Lord was pleased with this answer because Solomon had the interests of others at heart rather than his own needs and wants. In addition to giving him an understanding heart, the Lord blessed Solomon with riches and honor.
The first opportunity Solomon had to use his new gift from God was when two women came to him about the death of a child. They both had given birth to a child and one of the women accidentally rolled over on her baby and killed it. A dispute broke out over whose child had been killed. King Solomon was able to use the wisdom of God to discover who the true mother was and who to give the living child to. 1 Kings 3:16-22
Another opportunity Solomon had to use his gift from God was during the construction of the great temple he planned to build. David, Solomon's father, was unable to build a temple during his lifetime because there were so many wars. The Lord blessed Solomon with a peaceful time so that he could build a temple. Solomon was able to use the wisdom of God in securing materials and obtaining physical labor to help in the construction of the temple. 1 Kings 5:1-12
King Solomon, as a man of wisdom, is a good example of someone who actively prayed, asked for and received spiritual gifts. We too must pray for spiritual gifts. George Q. Cannon put it this way:
How many of you are seeking for these gifts that God has promised to bestow?
How many of you, when you bow before your Heavenly Father in your family circle or in your secret places, contend for these gifts to be bestowed upon you?
Or do you go along day by day like a door turning on its hinges, without having any feeling upon the subject, without exercising any faith whatever, content to be baptized and be members of the Church and to rest there, thinking that your salvation is secure because you have done this?
You have need to repent of your hardness of heart, of your indifference and of your carelessness. There is not that diligence, there is not that faith, there is not that seeking for the power of God that there should be among a people who have received the precious promises we have.
If any of us are imperfect, it is our duty to pray for the gift that will make us perfect. Every defect in the human character can be corrected through the exercise of faith and pleading with the Lord for the gifts that He has said He will give unto those who believe and obey His commandments.
Gospel Truth: Discourses and Writings of President George Q. Cannon
So what are the gifts to pray for? I believe we can pray for anything and everything we feel we need to be a better person. Of course there is the section in the Doctrine and Covenants that outline some of the more common spiritual gifts. D&C 46:13-26
One of my favorite companions on my mission, Sister Wheeler, always talked about and reminded me of the sin of complacency. We talked for hours and hours about how we wanted to behave when we returned home from our missions. We wanted to share our testimonies often. We wanted to be good member missionaries. We wanted to continue studying Preach My Gospel. We wanted to continue sharing the gospel with everyone we met. We never wanted complacency to creep into our lives and take away the preciousness of the gospel (man of wisdom; man of foolishness).
On our mission we also were constantly trying to understand and gain more Christlike attributes like charity, patience, diligence, hope and love. These, I believe, are among the best spiritual gifts to have in your life. I am grateful for my mission that gave me the opportunity to gain more spiritual gifts and blessings from the Lord.
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