A Prayer Before Dawn is an album led by saxophonist Pharoah Sanders recorded in 1987 and released on the Theresa label that year.

[1] In his review for AllMusic, Al Campbell commented: "A Prayer Before Dawn is one of Pharoah Sanders' gentle, reflective dates.

"[2] Writing in the Chicago Tribune, Jack Fuller wrote: "There is a sweetness about some of the cuts on this 1987 recording by tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders that becomes almost cloying at times.

...like Archie Shepp and so many other fine jazz exponents from earlier times, he has returned to the basics".

[5] The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz wrote: "The cover of A Prayer Before Dawn shows the middle-aged Sanders with white fringe beard and anomalously black hair framing a benevolently owlish expression far removed from the contorted scowl of former years.