It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) stood for prayer at night, he would say the takbir, then begin the prayer with 'Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdik'. After that he would say 'La ilaha illallah' and 'Allahu akbaru kabira' three times each. After that: 'A'udhu billahi al-sami'i al-'alimi min al-shaytani al-rajimi min hamzihi wa nafkhihi wa nafthih' (I seek refuge with Allah, the All-Hearing and All-Knowing, from Satan the accursed, and I also seek refuge from his whispering, his arrogance and the puffing of magic). Then he would begin the recitation.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 2355