In years gone by, many people have made errors in this process by deciding that to really go after God that had to be alone.  So for hundreds of years, pseudo religious people would lock themselves away sometimes literally in caves and rooms or in secluded places, thinking that to be closer to God that had to show there piety and their separation from the world. These well meaning but misguided people thought that if they were away from other people and away from any form of distraction it would be much easier to keep focused and hungry for the Lord.  The premise might make sense in some ways but there are hidden limitations to merely distancing oneself.  The difficulty they ran into with that kind of mindset was they allowed their outward practice to override their inward commitment.  These people from the past thought that if they were away from other people they would be able to live a passionate life for God.   However that kind of thinking is totally contrary to the  truth that although we are called to be separate from the world in that we do not please ourselves, God wants our hunger for Him to translate into a life that will affect others.  We who are drawing close to the Lord are to be lights that point to Jesus. In other words are desires our hunger for intimacy with Christ will cause others to hunger too. What are you and I willing to give up in order to know the Lord in a greater depth?  When you and I take steps towards intimacy with God, we will hear His voice and feel His strength in new ways, our steps towards Him individually will open up new doors of experience and revelation with the living God.  Let's go deeper!