Where do I find the verses that tell us that the faith for salvation is a special gift from God? The faith for the rest of our Christian life comes from reading the bible and hearing the word preached.
Faith for salvation being a gift from God is found in Ephesians 2:8-9.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast.
Anyone who sincerely asks for salvation receives the faith to believe they have it. As for reading the Bible and hearing the Word preached you’re right. As Romans 10:17 tells us;
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
The faith we’re initially given is like a muscle that has to be exercised to grow stronger. That’s why it’s important for believers to study the Bible and listen to God’s word being taught, and then to apply it in their lives. Knowing what we believe and why is the foundation. Putting our faith into action is how we build on it.
James said faith that is not accompanied by action is dead (James 2:17). By that He meant that it’s only theoretical. Faith becomes real when it results in action. This doesn’t mean we have to be sure to act in a certain way so others can see we have faith. It means true faith will be evident in our actions whether anybody sees or not.