This verse repeats the thought of Psalm 116:1 that the Lord listens. This is being described as, [The Lord] inclined his ear.
That is a symbolic way of saying that the Lord bends down toward the author so that he can better understand him.
There are translations that do not translate the second part of this verse (I will call on him
) in the future tense; we, however, choose to do that keeping in mind the build-up of the psalm. After all, the psalm culminates in the intention of the author to give thanks to the Lord in prayer (Psalm 116:9, Psalm 116:13, Psalm 116:17–19).
2 Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.