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
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⭐️ 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

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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.

Tired of waiting on God's promises? If your hope feels deferred and your heart is getting sick, this episode is for you. In this conversation, we walk through the process to the promise — that hard, hidden middle where God feels silent but is actually at work.

In this episode you'll discover:

•Why waiting on God's promises hurts, and what Proverbs 13:12 teaches about guarding your heart in the process.

• How years in the pit and the prison prepared Joseph for the palace, and what that means for your own delay.

• Trusting God's promises when the fulfillment looks impossible and the timeline makes no sense.

• Why the long way is often the faithful way, and what God was building in Israelites before the promised land.

• Practical ways to keep your faith strong and your perspective right while you wait for God's promises to come to pass.

If you're weary in the wait, this is your reminder: the process is not punishment. It's preparation.

☕️ Grab your coffee and let's chat about hearing God's voice in the waiting.

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CONNECT WITH US!

💥 Loved today's episode? Email Jen: [email protected]

👏🏼 Learn to hear God's Voice in just 5 days!

Grab this FREE 5-day email devotional series! https://heargodseries.subscribepage.io/

👀 Find Tiffany's Show, Resources, Author Coaching and More:

www.TravisandTiffanyTombre.com

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I had a season where God felt silent. Even as Pastors, we hit the same hills and valleys you do in your walk with Jesus— so I'm sharing the honest truth because I know some of you are in that exact season right now, wondering if He even hears you.

A quick note: I was the guest on this one! I sat down with Julie, host of "Everyday Miracles", for her show — and the conversation was so good, so real, and so needed that I had to bring it home to you too. We talk about what it actually feels like when God goes quiet, what gets in the way of hearing Him, and how to move from "I can't hear Him" to recognizing His voice every day.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why a season of silence from God isn't a sign of failure or distance
• How to hear God's voice clearly, even when your mind feels loud and busy
• The difference between God's voice and your own racing thoughts
• How to discern God's voice using scripture, prayer, and the Holy Spirit
• Signs God is speaking to you, even when it doesn't feel like a "voice" at all
• What the "still small voice" of God actually sounds like in real life
• How to pray when God feels distant, and what to do while you wait
• Practical ways to recognize the whisper of God in your everyday moments
• How prayer journaling can help you track and remember when God speaks
• What it means to feel God's presence again after a dry season
• Biblical discernment — how to know if a thought, impression, or nudge lines up with God's Word
• Why "hearing God" doesn't always look the way we expect it to

Quick answers if you're searching for this right now:

• Why can't I hear God?

Most of the time it's not about distance from Him — it's about noise, timing, or expectations of what His voice "should" sound like. We unpack this in detail in the episode.

• How do I know if it's God's voice?

We talk through practical, biblical ways to test what you're hearing against scripture and the character of God — not just a feeling.

• What if I've prayed and heard nothing?

You are not alone, and it doesn't mean God has gone silent forever. This episode walks through exactly what to do in that waiting season.

This was a guest-host episode — full credit to Julie Hedenborg and the "Everyday Miracles" podcast for having me on and letting me share this conversation here with you too.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• 5-Day Hear God Email Series — Start hearing God's voice in 5 days, free → https://heargodseries.subscribepage.io

• 30-Day Hearing God's Voice Devotional — Ready to hear God every single day → https://a.co/d/0bIBXDTj

• Work With Me — Podcasting help and coaching → [email protected]

• Everyday Miracles Podcast — Go check out Julie's show → https://www.youtube.com/@everydaymiraclespodcast1395

Jeri Hill was born out of rape, raised on drugs, and swept up in a 75-person drug bust. Then God spoke to her in a jail cell — in her mother's voice, from 25 miles away.

This is the story you didn't know behind the Brownsville Revival. Jeri and Steve Hill — saved just 8 days apart in 1975 — went from jail cells to evangelists, ministering in 80+ countries before history was made at Brownsville in 1995.

If you've ever wondered, "Does God still speak to someone like me?" — this episode is for you. He spoke to Jeri in a jail cell, on a billboard, in a dream, and in the silence after losing her husband and her son.

KEY TALKING POINTS

• Born Out of Rape: shame, identity, and God's plan
• Drug Addiction and the Drug Bust: 75 arrests, one jail cell
• Hearing God's Voice in Jail: her mother's voice, 25 miles away
• The John 3:16 Billboard: "For I so loved you" — not the world, you
• The Persistent Pastor: two years of knocking, one divine appointment
• Saved 8 Days Apart: Jeri and Steve's back-to-back salvation in October 1975
• Praying for Her Future Husband: before she ever met him
• From Jail to Evangelists: 40 countries, 8 churches, one heartbeat
• The Brownsville Revival: unplanned — and heaven came down
• Losing Steve: the dream about the vow and the angel wings
• Losing Ryan: tears of loss turned into tears for the lost
• "I Am the River in the Desert": how God carried her the whole time

💥 Start hearing God's voice in 5 days:

heargodseries.subscribepage.io

☕️ Grab your coffee, subscribe, and join the Java With Jen family — new episodes every week.

👉🏼 Connect with Jeri: https://www.togetherintheharvest.com/

#BrownsvilleRevival #HearingGodsVoice #ChristianTestimony #SteveHill #GodStillSpeaks

🕊️ Hear God More Clearly : Start your own 30-day journey with my Hearing God’s Voice Journal. 👉 Get it on Amazon

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If you've ever wondered how to hear God's voice, you're not alone. Many Christians ask, Does God still speak today? How do I know it's really Him? Can I teach my kids to hear God's voice too? In this episode of Java with Jen, Pastor Jenilee Samuel sits down with Heather O'Brien to explore practical, biblical ways to hear God's voice, grow in spiritual discernment, and deepen your relationship with Jesus—without making it weird.

Heather didn't begin learning to hear God's voice until she was 30 years old, despite following Jesus since childhood. What started as simple curiosity became the pathway God used to bring healing from trauma, anxiety, depression, and a deeper revelation of His love.

Together, Jenilee and Heather share five unexpected, practical activations that have helped them grow in recognizing God's voice. You'll hear why journaling can become a conversation with God, how asking for a simple word or Scripture each day builds spiritual sensitivity, why immediate confirmation can strengthen your faith, and even how one family learned to practice hearing God's voice while playing games together.

In this episode, you'll learn:

They also dive into questions many believers wrestle with:

• How do you know it's really God's voice and not your own thoughts?
• Does God still speak through dreams and visions today?
• Can children hear God's voice?
• Is it okay to ask God for confirmation?
• What if you've followed Jesus for years but have never recognized His voice?

Whether you're brand new to this journey or you've been pursuing God's voice for years, this conversation will encourage you to approach Him with childlike faith, expectancy, and confidence that He still speaks to His children today.

• Why hearing God's voice is available to every believer—not just pastors or prophets.
• Five simple activations to help you grow in hearing God more clearly.
• How journaling can become a conversation with the Holy Spirit.
• Practical ways to teach your children to recognize God's voice.
• How God speaks through dreams, visions, Scripture, impressions, and everyday life.
• The importance of discernment when interpreting dreams.
• Why asking God for confirmation can strengthen your faith.
• How words of knowledge often begin with simple encouragement.
• A powerful daily exercise you can start today to increase your sensitivity to God's leading.
• Why God's first words are often reminders of His love.

Resources Mentioned

Ephesians 3:17–19

1 Samuel 3

Deuteronomy 11

The story of Gideon's fleece (Judges 6)

John Paul Jackson's teaching on dream interpretation

If this episode encouraged you, would you take a minute to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend? Every review helps more people discover biblical teaching on hearing God's voice, spiritual growth, and following Jesus in everyday life.

🤩 If this episode was valuable to you, would you consider giving value for value: PAYPAL GIVING LINK:

⁠https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/7B647DMFXD5L8⁠

HOST SWAP: Enjoy this interview where I was the guest on Kathryn May's podcast "Free to Lead", where we discussed following God into obedience even when you're scared. It may feel like failure, but it's probably radical obedience.

The "Next Best Step" Strategy to Finding Your Calling

Many of us feel stuck because we are waiting for a clear map, but God often reveals the path one step at a time. In this episode, we break down why fear keeps us paralyzed and how to move from waiting to taking the immediate next step in your purpose.

Key Talking Points & Main Themes:

Overcoming Fear and Inaction:

Fear is the primary barrier to your purpose. We discuss why many of us "idolize clarity" as a way to avoid the risks of taking action, and how the parable of the talents reminds us to steward our gifts rather than bury them.

Taking the Next Best Step:

• You don't need a ten-year plan to start. Jenilee shares her experience starting a podcast without a traditional platform, trusting God to order her steps as she moved.

• Podcasting as Ministry and Business:

How to use media to multiply your message. We discuss how a podcast can serve as an outlet for your calling, reach a global audience, and provide opportunities for authors and speakers to make an impact.

• Hearing God's Voice Daily:

Discover how to discern God's voice in everyday life. We discuss why hearing Him is often a process of learning to recognize His gentle promptings through conversation and asking questions.

• The Power of Your "Yes": Stepping into your calling requires saying "yes" to God before you feel ready. Learn how consistent, small acts of obedience lead to doors opening that you never could have opened yourself.

• Boundaries for Spiritual Freedom: How to prioritize family, ministry, and business. We explore setting boundaries as a way to find alignment and freedom rather than burnout.

• Impact Over Income: Why focusing on Kingdom impact is the most reliable way to build a sustainable life and business. Learn how to trust that God will provide when you focus on serving others.

Listen to Kathryn's Podcast: "Free To Lead"

https://open.spotify.com/show/09jh1l4XVSS1vVTtB1Aq1Q?si=0057a2b9c6c34e76

Start hearing God’s voice in 5 days: ⁠https://www.subscribepage.io/HearGodSeries⁠

Make sure to SUBSCRIBE to Java With Jen!