Emunah Means Knowing Hashem

From Show Me Your Glory (Gifts of Emunah) (#E-176) by Rabbi Avigdor Miller 
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When Hashem split the Yam Suf, we surely saw the yad (hand of) Hashem and “vayaaminu b’Hashem u’b’Moshe avdo — and they believed in Hashem and in Moshe His servant” — a tremendous achievement, more than before. Halevei we should come to the first madreiga (level) that they attained when Moshe first came and showed them [signs]. Now they arrived at a much higher madreiga (level): emunah chushis (sensory knowledge), actually seeing with their eyes. A tremendous gift of daas (knowledge of) Hashem! That was the result of Kriyas (the splitting of the) Yam Suf. We never forgot it. 

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There’s nothing in the world more important than clarity of emunah

Every day, morning and night, we repeat the whole story of Kriyas Yam Suf... 

It’s important to utilize that opportunity and go over the experience that they had. “Lecha anu shira b’simcha rabba v’amru kulam — To You we sang in great joy, and they said…” It was a tremendous experience. Every day we say it (besides saying Az Yashir in Pesukei D’zimra) just before Shemone Esrei morning and night; the whole story is repeated again. Because it wasn’t merely that Hashem saved us. He gave us something more important than anything in this world. There’s nothing in the world more important than clarity of emunah, to see Hashem. 

Like the children of Yisrael said, “Ritzoneinu liros es Malkeinu — we want to see Hashem.” They wanted to see Hashem. Don’t you believe in Moshe Rabbeinu? He told you! No, it’s not enough, we want to see! And Moshe Rabbeinu, didn’t he want to see? “Hareinu nah — show me.” He was together with Hashem all the time, but he wasn’t satisfied. He wanted to see more and more. 

The more you can see Hashem in this world, the more you’re fulfilling your purpose of being in this world. We’re in this world to gain an actual feeling that we’re standing in the presence of Hashem. And the more you gain that feeling, the more you’re successful with your life in this world. 

Climb the Ladder: Spend one minute with your eyes closed, trying to picture yourself standing “in front of” Hashem