God directs your path by at least three methods
The first is through our God given desires. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself also in the LORD, and he shall give you the desires of your heart.” If we are delighting in the Lord, then most likely what we desire is God’s will. One of the reasons I knew God’s will for my life was preaching is because I had a desire which fits with 1 Timothy 3:1: “If any man desire the office of a bishop he desires a good work.” "Desire" is mentioned twice in that one verse.
Men who were concerned about God’s will and preaching would come to Charles Spurgeon and he would advise them: “If you can do anything else and be happy then do it.” But if you are called to preach that desire will never go completely away.
God also directs into His will by open doors. On Paul’s second missionary journey, in Acts 16:6 God closed the door to go south to Ephesus because God knew Paul would go to Ephesus on his third missionary journey and accomplish his greatest work. In Acts 16:7, God closed the door to go north to Bithynia, because Peter would minister there (1 Peter 1:1). God opened the door for Paul to go west into Europe for which we are grateful because that is why the gospel came to us in the west. What doors or opportunities is God opening for you? This may indicate God's will.
God can direct your path into His will through Godly counsel. Twice in Proverbs it is advised, “In the multitude of counselors there is safety” (11:14; 24:6). Someone has called this the “Fourth and One” principle. In football, when it is fourth down with one yard to go for a first down, the quarterback will call a time out and go to the sidelines and get advice from the coach.
Sometimes people who are not directly involved in our situation can give objective wisdom. For example, Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, clearly saw that Moses needed to delegate his workload to others. Moses was so caught up in his ministry that he lost sight of his unwise workload (Exodus 18:19-27).
There are times when we need to go to godly counselors for wisdom. When I am counseling a couple about marriage, I always ask if their parents are in favor of the marriage, especially if the couple has godly parents.
When I was planning on going to Brazil for the summer with Jimmy Rose and a church asked me to be their pastor, I did not know which to do. So I started asking godly people I respected. One would tell me, “Go to the mission field.” The next would say, “Take the church.” Finally, Dr. Harold Sightler was preaching at Gospel Baptist, and after the sermon, I asked him, and he said, “Take the church.” It was like God spoke. I knew that was God’s will.
An old Model T Ford was pulled off to the side of the road with its hood up, and a young man was trying desperately to get it running. He had been working at it for a long time without any success when a beautiful, chauffeur-driven limousine stopped behind him, and a well-dressed man got out. He watched the fellow working for a while and finally suggested that he make a minor adjustment in one part. The young man was skeptical, but nothing else had worked, so he did what he was told. “Now,” said the man, “your car will run. Crank it up.” So the young man cranked it once, and, sure enough, the engine started running as if it were brand-new. The young man was amazed that this kind of man knew so much about cars; so he asked him, “How did you know exactly what to do?” “Well,” the other man said, “I’m Henry Ford. I made the car, so I know all about how it works” (Gary Inrig, Hearts of Fire, Feet of Clay, page 111). No one knows us better than our Creator and Savior and no one can better fix us to do His will. He has given us the manual to know and do His will.