In today's society Faith has been corroded, mostly it doesn't have the special meaning by large. This is no surprise is it? Even JESUS asked in LUKE 18:8 "when the Son of man comes, will He really find faith on the earth" this is to mean as the end times become closer many will fall away from the "Faith".
He is here to give us the gift of faith and to help us grow in faith. When we accept Jesus into our heart we are given a measure of faith, to believe, at the same time the Holy Spirit fills us up and begins His everlasting work in us to glorify the Lord.
Faith isn't natural, it is supernatural, so "having the faith" is being a believer and learning daily to walk a life of faith whereby we believe but can't see that is the essence of faith. Hebrews 11:6 states we can't please God without faith.
We need to know that faith and belief is believing in Him. Faith in the New Testament denotes trust, which is faithfulness in knowing He will answer, He will provide, He will protect, He will deliver, He will.... If faith is not natural then we can't depend on what we see physically, we have the ability to step out and over the physical and enter in the invisible.
What does the word say about this? Romans 1:20 "For since the creation of the world his attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse..." This means we really don't have an excuse to say God doesn't exist and by faith we can see His creation, let's look at Ephesians 2:8, it starts here, meaning faith. "for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast".
Test the Lord in your walk Mark 9:23 "JESUS said to him, if you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes" in this episode we see the father of the sick child cried out and asks with tears "Lord I believe; help my unbelief".
This really means okay I see this but help me where I can't see further out, we will always reach a level of believing and then find we need to stretch further and need the Holy Spirit to help for the next level. Romans 10:17 tells us how to grow; " So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" stay in the word daily, read, study listen and your faith will grow. When we believe what God has to say to us in the word, we should do what He says, agree? John 14:15 "if you love me, keep my commandments". Have faith as we described, but you have to put faith to work, listen to what is said in James 2:17-18 thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, "you have faith, and I have works" show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
So it is a forward walk not being passive, put action, motivation in your prayers, by faith, have faith to believe what you prayed will come to pass. Keep on keeping on, you will see the hand of God, His signature when you are in His will.
See: Matthew 17:20, Matthew 21:21, Matthew 14:31, Matthew 15:28, Hebrews 11:1, 1 Peter 1:21, 2 Corinthians 5:7, 1 Corinthians 15:14-17, 1 John 5:4, 1 Peter 5:9, 1 Corinthians 13:2, 2 Timothy 4:7.