How do prayers work for others when in mortal sin?

[Nelka]

If someone is in mortal sin and they pray for the conversion of sinners or the holy souls in purgatory, what happens with the prayers?

Do the prayers help them the same as usual?
Do they help but not as effective as usual?
Do the effects of those prayers wait for you to be in sanctifying grace again before they help?

Thanks.

 

[Beryllos]

This comes down to the difference between sanctifying grace and what are called actual graces. (The word actual here is used in the obsolete sense of active, or leading to action.)

A person in mortal sin may have lost sanctifying grace, but God never ceases to give the sinner actual graces. First among these would be faith. The sinner would not pray if he/she did not have faith, which is an unmerited gift from God.

God cannot help but know and hear the prayers of a sinner. Furthermore, the sinner who prays for others is demonstrating love for others. How could God turn a deaf ear to that?

 

[Nelka]

Do you get all your actual graces back after confession?