What are the deeds and invocations that draw one closer to Allah for answered prayers and facilitated difficult matters?

For a supplication to be answered, there are conditions, causes, and impediments. If the supplicant fulfills the conditions, and the impediments are absent, and he observes the manners of supplication, Allah will answer him. Among these are seeking out times of responsiveness, invoking Allah by His Greatest Name, persistence and repetition in supplication, presence of heart, and certainty of response.

If the supplication coincides with a time of responsiveness, and it aligns with humility from the heart, and begins with praising and lauding Allah, then follows with invoking blessings upon His Messenger, peace be upon him, preceded by repentance and seeking forgiveness, interceding with Allah through His beautiful names, attributes, and Oneness, and does not supplicate for sin or cutting off family ties; then his request will inevitably be granted, his need fulfilled, and his distress relieved.