Du’a.
One of the things that helps to bring a response to du’aa’ is to seek the best times and places.
Among the best times is the time just before Fajr (dawn), the last third of the night(tahajjud), the last hour of Jumu’ah (Friday), when rain is falling, and between the Adhaan and iqaamah.
Among the best places are mosques in general, and al-Masjid al-Haraam [in Makkah] in particular.
Among the situations in which du’aa’ is more likely to be answered are: when one is mistreated or oppressed, when one is travelling, when one is fasting, when one is in desperate need, and when a Muslim makes du’aa’ for his brother in his absence.
Another important point is to realize that the response to the du’aa’ may take different forms: either Allaah will respond and fulfil the desire of the person who made the du’aa’, or He will ward off some evil from him because of the du’aa’, or He will make something good easy for him to attain because of it, or He will save it with Him for him on the Day of Resurrection when he will be most in need of it. And Allaah knows best.