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Answer: Giving charity before prayer is usually referring to the established prayer times of Shacharit and Minchah.
The source of this custom is in the Talmud (Bava Bathra 10a) "R. Eleazar used to give a coin to a poor man and afterwards pray because, he said, it is written, 'I in righteousness shall behold your face.'" The word 'righteousness' in Hebrew is "Tzedakah" which is also the word used for what we commonly call giving charity. So the word in the verse 'B'Tzedek' - "in righteousness" - suggests that we should approach G-d in prayer after giving to someone in need.
Giving tzedakah before praying reminds us that we are like a poor person standing before G-d and asking His help. When we give something to a poor person, G-d acts "measure for measure" - likewise, and does charity with us by granting our requests.
On a deeper level, Chassidic philosophy explains that when we give charity, we are giving that person life, i.e. vitality and energy - so too G-d will repay us giving us life in our prayers, that they should be filled with vitality and energy.
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