Java with Jen: Hearing God's Voice in Everyday Life | Holy Spirit, Spiritual Warfare, Prophetic Word

I'm flipping the microphone around today! I recently had the privilege of being interviewed by bestselling author and relationship researcher Shaunti Feldhahn and her husband, Jeff, on their podcast I Wish You Could Hear This. And we're getting REAL about marriage, raising four boys, and what I've learned about understanding the men in my life! Have you ever felt like your husband speaks an entirely different language? Or wondered why your teenage son suddenly shuts down when you're just trying to help? What if some of the very things we're doing out of love are actually making it harder for the men in our lives to open up? As a wife of over 20 years, mom of four boys, and a woman in ministry leadership, I've learned some of these lessons the HARD way. And in this conversation, I'm sharing some pretty vulnerable pieces of my own marriage journey, including why staying married was one of the hardest things I've ever done. In this episode, we're talking about: Why men shut down: How our well-intentioned questions and conversations can sometimes trigger defensiveness in our husbands and sons. Raising emotionally healthy boys: What I'm intentionally teaching my four sons about understanding women, expressing emotions, and becoming godly men. The teenage communication mistake I didn't realize I was making: One comment from my son made me rethink how I respond when my boys open up. Being a strong woman in marriage: How I've learned to honor the differences between men and women without diminishing who God created me to be. Healthy boundaries in Christian marriage: Why learning to establish boundaries was essential to my own emotional healing. Two simple phrases that changed our family conversations: Including one that helps us interrupt conflict and remember we're on the same team! One of my favorite parts of this conversation is how raising my boys actually challenged me to become a better wife. I realized I was teaching my sons to understand and care for the hearts of women, while struggling to extend that same intentional understanding to my own husband. Ouch! 😅 And wait until you hear the hilarious thing my boys noticed about how their dad talks to Siri... and what they started saying to him because of it! Whether you're raising sons, navigating a difficult season in marriage, or simply wanting healthier communication in your home, I think you'll find some practical takeaways in this conversation. Hit play, friend! We're talking about what it looks like to love the men in our lives well while also creating relationships where everyone feels heard, respected, and emotionally safe. CONNECT WITH JENILEE: Website: https://javawithjenpodcast.com ABOUT SHAUNTI & JEFF FELDHAHN: Shaunti Feldhahn is a bestselling author and relationship researcher known for helping men and women better understand one another. Alongside her husband Jeff, she hosts I Wish You Could Hear This, sharing research-based insights and practical conversations about marriage and relationships. Note: This conversation includes discussion of difficult marriage experiences and healthy boundaries. Remaining in an abusive relationship is not being encouraged.

Coming to you LIVE from beautiful Santorini, Greece! 🇬🇷☕️ I'm popping in for a quick bonus episode to give you a behind-the-scenes peek at our Hearing God in Greece trip, share a few highlights from our adventures in Athens and Santorini, and let you in on something exciting… we're already dreaming up our NEXT listener trips! There's something so special about exploring biblical history, experiencing new cultures, and making meaningful connections with people who share your faith. And after this trip, I can't wait to do more of it with YOU! Want to come on a future adventure with us? ✈️🌍 We're exploring future destinations, and I'd love to keep you in the loop! Whether you're seriously interested or just curious about where we're headed next, drop your email below to be among the first to hear about upcoming trips, destinations, dates, and registration details. 👉 JOIN THE FUTURE TRIPS INTEREST LIST: travelwithjen.subscribepage.io No commitment necessary! Just a chance to hear about the next adventure before we announce it to everyone else. Until then, sending you a big hug from Santorini! XO, Jen

What do you do when life keeps going wrong—and you’re trying to hear God in the middle of it? In this episode, prophetic leader and bestselling author Jane Hamon joins me to talk about how to hear God’s voice in hard seasons, rebuild hope after disappointment, and find victory in the valley. If you’re walking through grief, spiritual warfare, unanswered prayer, fear, or a season that has shaken your trust in God, this conversation gives you practical biblical handles for moving forward. Jane has walked through miscarriages, family tragedy, a son who endured 13 major reconstructive surgeries, and seasons where one hard thing seemed to follow another. Through those valleys, she discovered something surprising: when we’re believing God for a miracle, the problem may not actually be a lack of faith. So what gets stolen before faith starts to disappear? In this episode, we talk about: Why hope may be the missing ingredient when your faith feels weak How to hear God when your emotions are loud and your circumstances make no sense The “giants” that often surface in valleys—fear, shame, rejection, and the feeling that God has abandoned you What to do when you’ve prayed, believed, and the outcome still hurts Why Jane says, “Never doubt in the dark what you heard in the light” How your own words can reveal the lies you’ve started believing Why so many biblical battles happened in valleys The powerful lesson Jane learned when she was trapped on a dark mountain trail and literally couldn’t see her next step And here’s one of my favorite ideas from this conversation: you may be begging God to show you the whole road ahead when what you actually need is enough light for the next step. If you’ve felt stuck, spiritually tired, afraid to hope again, or confused about what God is doing, press play. Jane’s perspective on hope, hearing God, spiritual warfare, and conquering difficult seasons may shift the way you see the valley you’re walking through. ABOUT JANE HAMON: Jane Hamon is a prophetic leader, bestselling author, and international speaker who has equipped believers around the world for more than 40 years. Alongside her husband Tom, she leads Vision Church and Christian International and has ministered in more than 70 nations. 📖 Victory in the Valley: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0800772466?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_AH2RXAMAT6FEDHMMGYV0_1&bestFormat=true 💌 Let’s Stay Connected 📧 [email protected] 📲 IG: @javawithjen | 🎧 Merch Store ☕️ Patreon | 💸 Venmo @JavawithJen | 💵 CashApp $JavawithJen 💖 Give on PayPal ⭐️ Enjoyed this episode? Leave a quick ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review — it helps more people hear God’s voice too!

How do you know if you’re hearing God’s voice—or simply hearing your own thoughts? How can you discern God’s voice, recognize the Holy Spirit’s leading, and know when something is actually confirmation from God rather than coincidence? In this episode of Java with Jen, Dr. David Chotka shares practical, biblical ways to hear God more clearly and recognize the surprisingly personal ways He may already be speaking to you. David tells an incredible story of following what seemed like a simple inner prompting that led him to a complete stranger’s home—and shows why hearing God often looks far less dramatic than Christians expect. We unpack some of the biggest questions believers wrestle with around hearing God: How can you tell the difference between God’s voice and your own thoughts? What does the peace of God have to do with discernment? Can conviction actually be one of the ways you recognize God speaking? Does God use repetition, patterns and confirmation to get our attention? How do you know when something is a sign from God versus coincidence? What does David mean when he says God will sometimes “speak you to you”? Can your own desires make it harder to discern God’s will? And can we become so afraid of “missing God” that discernment actually turns into paralysis? One of my favorite parts of this conversation is David’s explanation of Colossians 3:15 and the idea of allowing the peace of Christ to act like a referee when we’re trying to discern God’s leading. We also talk about the beautifully personal ways God communicates—using things that carry meaning specifically to you—and why learning His voice is less about finding a magic formula and more about growing in relationship with Him. If you’ve ever prayed, “God, I just wish I knew if this was You,” this episode will give you practical tools to test what you’re sensing without becoming fearful or obsessive about getting it perfectly right. SHARE THIS EPISODE: If you know someone who loves God but constantly second-guesses whether they’re actually hearing Him, send this episode their way. About Dr. David Chotka: Dr. David Chotka is the founder and director of SpiritEquip Ministries and served for more than 20 years as chair of the Alliance Church in Canada’s national prayer-equipping team. An author, pastor and international conference speaker, David has spent decades equipping Christians in hearing God’s voice, prayer and healing ministry. GET HIS BOOK: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1777678137?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_TAQ4CQRDZF5DKA1P3QX0&bestFormat=true In this episode: hearing God’s voice, how to hear God, discerning God’s voice, Christian discernment, Holy Spirit, knowing God’s will, recognizing God’s voice, God or my thoughts, confirmation from God, signs from God, hearing the Holy Spirit, biblical discernment, prayer, spiritual discernment.

So… if you’ve been wondering why there haven’t been new episodes for the last couple of weeks, it’s because I had to hit PAUSE on the podcast while I spent nearly three weeks filming a movie. 😳🎬 Yeah. That was definitely not on my 2026 bingo card. In this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes of how I unexpectedly ended up playing Marilyn Cross in the feature film Giant Killer—and honestly, the story started long before I ever knew a movie was coming. About 18 months ago, God gave me a dream that one week later was interpreted by Kris Vallotton from the stage at UPPERROOM Church in Dallas. At the time, I had no idea what it meant or how literally parts of it would eventually play out. I’m sharing: the bizarre story of how this opportunity happened, the little ways God showed up throughout the process, what it was like walking onto a movie set for the first time, my favorite scene to film, and some of the things I learned while doing something that felt completely outside my normal world. More than anything, I wanted to give you a peek into my own wild ride of following Jesus when obedience takes you somewhere unexpected, scary, and very different from what you thought your life was going to look like. And hopefully, my story encourages you to pay attention to the things God may be preparing you for—even when you don’t understand them yet. I hope you enjoy this little glimpse behind the scenes. ❤️ 🎬 FOLLOW The GIANT KILLER Movie ⭐️ Giant Killer on IMDb:⁠View Giant Killer on IMDb⁠ 🎥 Giant Killer Movie Hub — cast, BTS, updates + more:⁠Giant Killer on Milkshake⁠ ☕️ STAY CONNECTED WITH JAVA WITH JEN & See the BTS: 📲 Instagram: Highlights --> "Movie BTS"⁠https://www.instagram.com/javawithjen⁠ ❤️ Support Java with Jen on Patreon:⁠https://www.patreon.com/javawithjen⁠ If you enjoyed this episode, would you take a second to follow the show, share this episode with a friend, and leave a rating or review? Those simple things make a huge difference in helping new listeners find the podcast.