The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pause silently between the opening takbir and the recitation. I think he said, briefly.I asked, "May my father and mother be ransomed for you, Messenger of Allah, what do you say during your silent pause between the takbir and the recitation?"He replied, "I say, 'O Allah, distance me from my sins as You have distanced the East from the West. O Allah, cleanse me of my sins as a white garment is cleansed of filth. O Allah, wash away my sins with water, snow, and hail.'"
كان رسول الله ﷺ يسكت بين التكبير وبين القراءة إسكانة- قال أحسبه قال: هنية- فقلت: بأبي وأمي يا رسول الله! إسكاتك بين التكبير والقراءة ما تقول؟ قال: أقول: اللهم باعد بيني وبين خطاياي كما باعدت بين المشرق والمغرب، اللهم نقني من الخطايا كما ينقى الثوب الأبيض من الدنس، اللهم اغسل خطاياي بالماء والثلج والبرد.
Bukhari related it in the Book of Adhan (744), and Muslim in the Book of Mosques (598), both through Abdul-Wahid bin Ziyad, who said, "Umara bin Qaqa narrated to us," who said, "Abu Zura narrated to us," who said, "Abu Hurairah narrated to us," then he mentioned the hadith, and the wording given is Bukhari's. Muslim's wording is, "Cleanse me of my sins with snow, water, and hail." He also added, "Whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ rose from the second rakat, he would open the recitation with "Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds"," and he did not pause. As will come later.